The Q and the Janeway
by Give-Me-Your-Coffee
Summary: A silly, fluffy story for anyone who every wanted to see Janeway and Q as a couple... Now rated "M" for the naughty bits. You know you want to read it!
1. Roses in the Ready Room

"Report," ordered Captain Kathryn Janeway, stepping onto the bridge at the start of her shift.

"All systems normal," replied her first officer.

Janeway locked eyes with Chakotay as she sat in her chair. She offered a small smile, and her heart swelled when she received one in return. He had such a warm smile. It reached all the way up to his dark brown eyes...

She refocused her attention to a PADD in her hand, her heart aching. Chakotay was no longer hers to think about. He was with Seven now. She knew she couldn't have expected him to wait for her forever. After all, he deserved to find love with someone who was in a position to give it to him...and sadly, she was not that person.

Sure, she _could_ have started a relationship with a member of her crew. She was certain they wouldn't mind, but the thought of it went against everything she believed in as a Starfleet Captain. It would be unprofessional, inappropriate, and somehow immoral. Chakotay was one of her most trusted officers, and her best friend. They had a dynamic between them that worked, and she wasn't foolish enough to mess it up.

Still, she would miss the slightly flirtatious aspect of their relationship. She couldn't deny that her heart fluttered a little bit every time he said her name. Just being near him made her feel at peace.

Kathryn bit her lip in frustration. Once again, her principles were standing in the way of something she wanted. But it didn't matter anyway. She loved Chakotay, she loved Seven, and the two of them loved each other. If they were happy together, so be it. She wasn't the first woman to be in this position, and she certainly wouldn't be the last.

She shivered and crossed one leg over the other. Chakotay, ever attentive to his captain's needs, ordered the computer to raise the temperature on the bridge by five degrees.

She looked at him again and smiled her thanks, not knowing how to tell him that the cold she felt had nothing to do with the atmospheric controls and everything to do with her internal cognitive processes.

As long as Chakotay had been single, she'd falsely comforted herself with the fantasy that she had someone. Now that Chakotay was taken, she had no one. She was all alone, and she was going to stay that way for a very long time.

Fresh tears unexpectedly stung her eyes. Grabbing her PADD and standing quickly, Janeway announced,

"I'll be in my Ready Room, if anyone needs me," her gaze lingered on her first officer for a moment before she turned and walked across the bridge. _If only_, she thought as her Ready Room door _whooshed_ open, _If only there were someone here for **me**. _

The door _whooshed_ shut behind her, and Kathryn walked the well trodden path from the door to the replicator.

"Coffee, black," she muttered and took the materialized mug in her hand, turning towards her desk.

There was bouquet lying there of what seemed like nearly one hundred blood-red roses.

Her brow furrowed as she approached it, her mind racing. _Who would do this?_ She thought to herself. _Chakotay? _Her heart swelled and just as quickly deflated. Chakotay would never leave roses on her desk, and even if he did, it wouldn't be a bouquet like this. He'd leave a single flower, with a handwritten note...

At the thought of the word _note_, Kathryn scanned the flowers with sharp eyes, looking for just such an object.

She saw it. A creamy vanilla envelope tucked discreetly between masses of red and green.

Walking around the desk, Kathryn sat down in her chair. She pulled the envelope from the roses and simultaneously bent down to inhale their scent. _Lovely._

The paper was cool and crisp against her fingertips. Not one to postpone discovery, she opened the envelope and removed a single folded sheet of fine linen paper. She opened the paper and read the neatly calligraphied message:

_For my dearest Kathy-_

_ Thinking of you always._

_ -Q_

It took her a moment to understand. The roses were from Q. From Q. The roses were from Q.

She had no doubt in her mind which Q had sent them. If it had been the son, the inscription would say "Auntie Kathy" instead of "Dearest Kathy."

_Dearest? Thinking of you always? What does it mean?_

It sounded like a love note, but this was Q. Q didn't love, did he?

Pushing this thought aside, she strode back to the replicator and demanded a large vase with water.

The roses were easy to arrange, but the bouquet was so conspicuous that it blocked her vision, regardless of where she set it on the desk.

It suddenly occurred to her that the self-proclaimed _omnipotent_ one might be watching her as she shifted the vase around.

"They're lovely Q. Thank you," she called out, wondering if he could hear her.

There was a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. She looked up. He was sitting on her couch, in front of the windows, legs crossed, looking for all the world as if he belonged there. He was wearing the Starfleet uniform with captain's pips, per usual. Janeway wondered if he did it to fit in, or just to annoy her.

"You're quite welcome, Madam Captain," he replied with a nod. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine," she said slowly with a diplomatic smile, walking out from behind her desk and up to join him on the couch. "How are you?"

"Why, I've never been better," Q replied, making the grandiose statement in a way only he could pull off. "The Continuum thrives, and Junior continues to make his father proud...thanks in part to your excellent tutelage," he made a gesture in her direction, for all accounts completely sincere.

"Thank you," Kathryn replied, sitting down. She rested an elbow on the back of the couch and crossed her legs. "Though I'm sure his father has provided an excellent standard of behavior for him to aspire to."

She meant to tease, but found that she actually meant it.

Q chuckled and looked a bit pleased.

"Junior sends his regards...he's become quite the diplomat, you know. A regular chip off the old block, if I do say so myself."

"I assume you're referring to his mother?" This time she was teasing.

"Oh, come now Kathy," Q chastised, looking a tad petulant. "Surely you're aware of my political prowess? Was it not I who conceptualized and executed a plan to bring peace to the Continuum? Not to mention its overwhelming success!"

"I seem to recall having a hand in the matter myself, Q," Kathryn replied, hiding a smile. She'd learned to take Q's bragging with a grain of salt. He knew full well how those events had transpired.

"As I remember it, you could have had much more than your _hand_ in the events, my sweet Kathy," Q replied softly, reaching up to stroke her cheek with a touch that was feather-light.

Kathryn felt her heart give a strange beat, and blood rushed through her veins. Her face felt warm.

In an instant, the touch was gone, leaving her confused and disoriented. Struggling to regain control, she managed to blurt out,

"Why are you here Q?"

"Now really, _mon capitane,_" Q admonished, pulling a face of righteous indignation. "Do I really need a reason to catch up with an old friend?"

"Are we friends?" Kathryn responded, though even as she asked, she knew the answer. _Yes._ Somewhere along the way, between their battles over the fate of Quinn, and their parental collaboration over his son, Q had become more than a mal-intentioned, omnipotent pest; he was an acquaintance, someone she trusted, if only slightly.

"Now Kathy, all this playing captain has made you cranky. Do try to be nice. I'm only here to help."

"Help?" she asked, confused. "Help what?"

"Why, you're current situation of course..."

"Oh?" she asked suspiciously. "What situation is that?" _Is he sending us home? He already said he couldn't do that..._

"I'm referring to your current romantic entanglements..."

"My what!"

Q sighed dramatically. Taking both her hands in his, he looked into her face and began to explain very slowly, as though she were a small child.

"You're lonely Kathy, I can tell. Sitting here with your coffee and your PADD, wondering when tattoo-boy, will ever realize that you're worth waiting for. I hear he's fraternizing with the Borg now. Imagine, he picked the emotionless drone over _you_...what a fool...

Janeway pulled her hands from his and stood up angrily.

"Seven is a..."

"...valuable member of your crew, an individual, taking great strides to reclaim her humanity. Yes, yes, I've read the pamphlets. And Chuckles, I'm sure he deserves every happiness, he's your best friend, blah blah blah... Tell me, Kathy dear, what kind of man can't find it in himself to wait for a prize like you, hmmm?"

Something inside Kathryn was telling her that Q was telling her just what she wanted to hear...and something even deeper inside was telling her that he was right.

He was standing in front of her, grasping her firmly, but not tightly, around her upper arms. Her face felt warm.

"You never consider your own happiness. It's always all for someone else. You deserve much better, and I'm going to see to it that you get it."

"Oh really?" she snapped, pulling away from him. "Just how do you intend to do that? Are you going to _make _Commander Chakotay fall in love with me?"

Q snorted with disdain.

"Certainly not," he quipped. "I'm giving you someone _much_ better."

"Ha," Kathryn gave a derisive laugh. "Like who?"

"It's quite simple, my dear Kathy," he took her hand in his and began to absently massage her palm. "I'm giving you...Me."

"You!" Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Haven't we been down this path already? Q! I have no interest in mating with you!"

"Who said anything about mating?" Q asked politely. "Though now that you've suggested it, I daresay we could have some fun." He gave her a wicked smirk and raised an eyebrow.

He was still holding her hand. Kathryn absently remembered him commenting on how soft it was.

"No, my fair captain, I'm not here for anything so trivial as mere copulation. My quest, instead, is for your heart."

"You're joking..."

"I'm not," he replied in all seriousness. "Kathryn Janeway, I'm in love with you. I have been since you first banished me from your living quarters."

"You don't mean that," she muttered, looking into his face while trying to pull her hand away from his. He gripped it tighter and brought it up to press against his chest.

"Don't I? Why else would a member of my species continually seek out an inferior life-form such as yourself? I mean it Kathy! I love you!"

"You're lying! Let go of me!"

"I will not. Besides, wasn't it you who said I was many things, but never a liar?" He flashed her a charming grin.

"I was wrong!"

"No," said Q, pulling her to him with an unseen force she couldn't move against. "You were right."

He paused and considered her face at close proximity. Smiling, he brushed a small strand of hair out of the way and slid his hand over her cheekbone to cup her jaw.

"I know you don't believe me now...but you will. I'll prove it to you, my sweet, wild Kathy. You'll be happier than you've ever dreamed...and it will all be because you're with me. Not your precious Mark, or your stupid Chakotay. Me."

And then, he kissed her.


	2. Out

Special thanks to Alara Rodgers for her note on French grammar. I don't speak French...I probably shouldn't try to write it either...

This chapter's for The Mythical Pen, who sent me a desperate plea for a new one.

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"_Oh..._" thought Kathryn.

For a moment, her hormones and reacted to the firm, sweet pressure of Q's mouth on hers. Warmth washed over her, and she had to force herself to breathe. It felt so good to be held, wanted, desirable, and all those other wonderful feelings she'd been denied here in the Delta Quadrant.

Noting her lack of protest, Q slid his arms around her waist and crushed her to his chest. Kathryn gasped into his mouth, and he kissed her harder. His lips trailed down length of her cheekbone to nibble on the sensitive place just beneath her ear.

Kathryn's eyes flew open at the shock of lust that raced through her whole body, but as the sensation eased, and the room returned to focus; Kathryn was overcome with horror.

She pushed Q roughly away, and her hand automatically reached up to cover the side of her neck as though to protect it from his tingling ministrations.

"Too rough?" Q queried—his face a study in curiosity and concern.

"Get out!" she snarled.

Q raised an eyebrow, looking surprised, but he quickly regained his composure. Clucking his tongue at her and shaking his head at the same time, his expression became teasing.

"Surely you don't mean that, my dear."

"I most certainly do!" Kathryn huffed.

"Now, now," Q held up his hands in quelling gesture. "We were having a lovely moment there, dear Kathy. Don't spoil it...you were doing so well..."

He moved towards her again, but Kathryn ducked past him and walked off the dais to her desk. Grabbing the large vase of roses, she walked back up to him.

"Leave," she said again, pushing the vase into his hands. "And take these damn things with you."

She could feel Q watching her as she stalked back to her desk and sat down. She made a show of picking up a PADD and giving it her full attention. To a Starfleet officer, this action would signal the end of the conversation...but it wouldn't work on Q. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him follow her down and stand in front of her desk.

There was silence.

Determined not to look up, Kathryn continued to tap away at the PADD, locked in a silent battle of wills. She could _feel_ him standing there, staring at her. It was as if every molecule in her body were attuned to his presence.

_Don't look up,_ she thought to herself. _He'll go away eventually if you don't acknowledge him. Don't look up, don't look up, don'tlookup, don'tlookup..._

Suddenly, the PADD in her hand disappeared.

She looked up at Q in annoyance to find him smirking at her.

"Cheater," she hissed. Q's smirk only grew wider. With a flash, the missing PADD reappeared in his hand, and he pretended to study it with mock seriousness.

"Photon counts...Plasma emissions...What a dismal way to look at a nebula, Kathy."

"Yes, well, it works for me. Give that back, Q!"

He artfully dodged her questing hand, standing to face her, tapping the PADD against his chin thoughtfully.

"How would you like see that nebula with your own eyes, ma capitaine?"

"No, thank-you."

"Why not? It would make a lovely first date, don't you think?"

"No, I don't."

Q chuckled.

"You're lying, Kathy dear. I see it on your face."

Kathryn shot Q her best glare, reserved for only the worst of trespassers.

"What is my face telling you now, Q?"

Instantly the smirk vanished, and the PADD reappeared back in her hand.

"Spoil my fun, why don't you?" Q sighed with mock exasperation. "Very well, I'll take my leave..."

Kathryn smiled triumphantly to herself. She turned to look at Q, and found him leaning on her desk, face inches away from hers.

"...but don't worry," he whispered, his eyes boring into her own. "I came prepared for a challenge. I'll be back."

He pressed his lips to hers in kiss too quick for her to dodge, raised his eyebrow at her, and in a flash...disappeared.

Kathryn slumped in her chair for a moment before pressing her com-badge.

"Janeway to the bridge...Intruder alert."

The rest of the day passed without any more interruptions from Q, but that didn't stop Kathryn from looking over her shoulder every five seconds. Even though she couldn't see him, she knew he was there...watching...

Her shift on the bridge ended at 1700 hours. The Captain did her best to ignore the twinge she felt in her stomach as she watched Chakotay leave, no doubt on his way to have dinner with Seven. Harry approached her and mentioned a new holodeck program he, Tom, and B'Elanna were planning to try together for dinner, and wouldn't she like to come along? Kathryn appreciated the invite, but politely declined. No matter how close she was to her crew, she would never be their equal. She knew the three of them were looking to have a night of fun, and her presence, not matter how much she tried to fit in, would dampen the mood.

Sighing, Kathryn retreated to her Ready Room as the second shift came to take over the bridge. She would replicate something and finish up a few of the more tedious reports she always liked to put off.

Her first thought was to replicate a cup of coffee to sharpen her mind for the boredom ahead, but there was already a steaming hot mug of it on her desk. Suprised, Kathryn thought she'd maybe forgotten it there, but realized that it was too warm to have been sitting out all this time.

It occurred to her that the coffee could be from Q as she picked it up and inhaled the pungent aroma. It smelled too good to be replicated coffee. Hoping it wasn't laced with something foul, Kathryn took a small sip. Delicious.

She allowed herself a wry smile, and mentally thanked the omnipotent being for the treat.

Several hours later, Kathryn signed off on the last of Tuvok's arse-numbingly dull maintenance reports. She knew now why she'd put these off for so long. Leaning back and rubbing the kink in her neck, she wondered what to start on next, but then her stomach grumbled loudly. Dinner...she'd forgotten to replicate some.

The door chime sounded.

"Come," called Kathryn, pushing Tuvok's reports aside on her desk. Chakotay entered. The door whooshed shut behind him.

"Duty Roster for next week," he said, handing her a PADD. Kathryn took it and looked it over briefly.

"Looks fine to me, Commander," she said, wondering if maybe he wasn't having dinner with Seven. Maybe _they_ could have dinner like they used to. She'd burn some pot roast, he'd bring the wine...she casually mentioned it to him. He frowned and shook his head.

"I'm afraid I have other plans," he said. "Rain check?" Something hurt inside, but she ignored it and smiled.

"Of course."

She handed the duty roster back to him and pulled her computer closer to her, subtly signaling to him that he should leave. He didn't. She looked up at his deliberating face. Hope rose inside her...maybe he was changing his mind?

"Was there something else?" Kathryn asked kindly.

"Well..." Chakotay began. "I was wondering if you'd heard anything else from Q."

_Ah_, Kathryn thought.

"No," she replied. "Nothing so far," she gave him a penetrating look. "Why do you ask?"

"Curious, is all," Chakotay answered. "Well, anxious is more like it. I fell like we're waiting for a bomb to drop."

_We?_ _Hardly._

"What makes you think that? That something bad is coming?" Kathryn asked.

"It always does, doesn't it?" Chakotay said, answering her question with a question. She felt a flash of annoyance. She hated it when he did that.

"Not always," said Kathryn. "I feel like this time is different." Truthfully, she wasn't so sure, but she felt like arguing with him. "I feel Q is being upfront about his intentions this time, not merely using them as a smokescreen for something else."

Chakotay scoffed, which made her frown. Was it so impossible to believe that someone would pursue her romantically? Just a month ago, she would have sworn Chakotay fell into that same category.

"I think you should be careful," Chakotay said. Somehow, those words seemed patronizing. Kathryn was quickly growing tired of this whole conversation. Chakotay moved forward to sit on the edge of her desk. In the old days, she'd appreciated such casual behavior from him, because it was a reminder of how special their relationship was, a reflection of their closeness. Now, she found his actions intrusive and just a little disrespectful. It wasn't fair that he was still acting just like the old Chakotay, pretending that nothing had changed between them, when it had. It all had changed. Their quiet commitment to each other no longer existed, and everything he did was a constant reminder of that fact. She was unsure of where she stood with him, and a little unsure of where she stood with herself.

In the end, she knew it was futile to try and regain what she thought they'd had. It wouldn't happen. And she could never confront him about it, as that would only make the situation more awkward. Her best friend and the man she'd silently loved for years, had betrayed her for another woman, and she had to deal with it, as gut-wrenching, agonizing and awkward as it was.

"Of course I'll be careful," she sighed, breaking away from her thoughts. "I've dealt with Q before. I don't believe he means me any harm. He'll lose interest in a few days, and that will be the end of it."

"Oh!" cried a dramatic voice from the corner. "I'm certainly not _that_ shallow, ma capitaine! You've truly captured my heart! Your brains! Your beauty! Katherine, my dear, who in the universe could be foolish enough _not_ to fall desperately in love with you?

Q glanced pointedly at Chakotay, who had the good sense to blush in embarrassment at his implications.

"Back again, are you?" the Commander growled.

"Once again, Chuckles, your prowess at stating the obvious becomes apparent. Well done." Q sneered, clasping sarcastically.

"I suppose the real question is _why_ have you returned, Q?" said the Captain, quietly enjoying the frustration on Chakotay's face.

"And of course, you're correct Captain, "Q replied solicitously.

"Not that it matters," Chakotay scoffed. "We're not interested in your little games, Q."

"Well, I can't say I'm very interested in you either, Commander," countered Q in his most disdainful tone. "Kathy, my dear," he went on in an entirely different voice. "Might I have a word with you in private?"

"Leave her alone, Q. She doesn't care what you have to say!"

_I don't?_ Kathryn looked at her first officer.

"I think the Captain knows how to answer for herself, Chuckles," Q reminded him viciously.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay turned to look at her, his expression defiant. In the old days, when they'd been a team, it didn't matter that he occasionally took the lead or spoke in her place, because he'd always said exactly what she wanted to say, but not anymore. It was a mark of how much they'd deteriorated as a pair. She'd trusted him then, but now...

"Actually, Commander," she said slowly, hating herself for every word. "I would like a moment to speak with Q, if you don't mind." She'd meant for the "if you don't mind" part to imply that it would matter to her if he really did mind, but somehow it came out wrong. "If you don't mind...you obnoxious son of a bitch" was how it actually sounded. Kathryn winced internally. Chakotay seemed to deflate a bit before nodding.

"Of course...Captain..."

_Ahh, the undercurrents in this conversation..._she thought dryly.

"You heard her, Chuckles. Run along," sang Q, and before Chakotay could protest, he'd disappeared. Janeway scowled at Q. "No worries, my dear. I simply put him on the bridge," he said, sitting on the same corner of her desk that Chakotay had vacated.

"Was that really necessary?" she frowned, and made shoo-ing motions. "Get off please.

"Yes, of course," said Q, rising gracefully. "He was annoying me."

He said it so matter-of-factly that Kathryn had to suppress a grin.

"I'll ask you to treat the members of my crew with a bit more respect in the future," said Janeway, making the warning not in her voice clear.

"Anything for you, darling Kathy." Q replied with a twinkle in his eye. "And I do mean _anything_."

"What do you want, Q?" Kathryn asked, continuing to rub her neck absently.

"Have dinner with me," he demanded

"No."

"Yes."

"I can't. I'm working," she said calmly.

"Correction, you're _overworking_, Kathy dear."

"I've been putting these reports off for weeks. If I don't finish them now, I never will," she said, picking up another PADD. Q picked up a PADD from the same pile, read the title, and winced.

"Surely you'd rather be dinning with me than reading these dreadful things, admit it," Q taunted, replacing the PADD on her desk.

_Of course I would,_ she thought. _I'd rather be anywhere right now._

"I'm sorry if my responsibilities bore you, Q, but I really do need to finish these."

Q pouted.

"I'm starting to think you don't enjoy my company, Ma capitaine."

Janeway suppressed a grin. Q spotted it and gave her a look of horror.

"Oh Kathy!" he cried dramatically. "I never knew you were such a tease! To kiss me so passionately and then take it all away..."

"Kiss YOU?" Kathryn cried. "I did no such thing!"

"No, no," sniffed Q, waving his hands and stopping her short. "I see how it truly is. You've cut me deep in my little Q heart. I don't see how I shall ever recover..."

"I'm sure you'll survive," she said, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to the PADD.

"Oh Kathy! What horrible cruelty!" Q exclaimed, and buried his face in his hand.

The captain ignored him for a few minutes...but then she heard him sob, quietly.

"Q?" she asked, looking up from her work.

He sobbed again.

"Q..." she said warningly. He sobbed again and turned away.

"Look, Q..." she began feeling a little awkward.

"No! I don't want your pity!" Q hissed, and strode up the dais to stare out the window. "I shall never be loved. It's something I have to accept."

Kathryn stood and followed him to the window. He turned and would not face her.

"I'm sorry Q," she said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

No response.

"It's nothing personal...I'm just not in a position to have a relationship with someone."

Q emitted a bitter, "Ha," something that sounded like "Chakotay," and another sob. A large, white handkerchief appeared in his hand, and Q blew his nose quite loudly.

"Q," said Katherine. "If there were something I could do..."

Suddenly Q whirled around, smiled deviously, and grasped both her hands in his own.

"Have dinner with me," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"You're insufferable," Kathryn snarled, realizing it was all an act. She pulled her hands from his and turned to march back down to her desk. "Get out!"

Suddenly, a strong arm caught her around the waist, pinning her arms to her sides, and pulled her back against a warm body. Kathryn froze.

"Insufferable, am I?" his voice was warm and teasing near her ear. She could feel his breath against it, sending shivers all over, and causing goose bumps to rise painfully on her arms.

"Q..."

"Shh, darling." He whispered into her neck. "I'm well aware of how 'insufferable' you find me..."

She felt paralyzed, aroused, and mortified all at once...

"But oh...sweet Kathy..." sighed Q, burying his face in her hair and planting a searing kiss at the base of her neck, "how I'd love you to suffer me..."

Kathryn's legs began to buckle; she was so on fire she couldn't see straight. She wanted him so bad the space between her lags ached with it. There was only one thing she could do...

"Janeway to Security! Intruder alert!"

Behind her, Q groaned in annoyance.

"You little minx," he chuckled admiringly in her ear. "Always playing games..."

The door to her ready room hissed open. Tuvok and two other security officers charged inside.

"Q," said Tuvok, aiming his phaser at the omnipotent being. "Please release the Captain."

"How do you think he meant that, my dear?" Q whispered solicitously in her ear while simultaneously running a fingertip out of sight, down the base of her spine. Kathryn shivered.

"Well, ma capitaine, I see your security team has taken it upon themselves to crash our little rendezvous," Q said, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Perhaps we should go someplace a little more private..."

Kathryn turned and looked up at him in realization of what he was about to do.

"I'm not going anywhere," she stated as firmly as she could manage.

"O contraire, ma capitaine," said Q, grinning wickedly. "We're going...out."

He kissed her just as they both disappeared.

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Review if you liked it! -Coffee


	3. First Date

Yay! Another Chapter! But be sure to go back and re-read chapter two. I uploaded my first draft by mistake before. The new one has some Chakotay abuse, courtesy of Q...Heh heh heh...:)

Enjoy!

-Coffee

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Janeway was pissed. She was pissed and she had no idea where she was. She was pissed, she had no idea where she was, and the source of her frustrations had her gripped so tightly around the ribs, she thought she might faint for lack of air.

"Q!" she gasped. "Let me go!"

Q immediately relinquished his grip.

"My apologies," he said cheerfully. "Are you all right?"

"No!" she hissed. "I am not all right! Take me back to Voyager, right now!"

Q ignored her and offered his arm.

"I'm not kidding Q! This little stunt of yours needs to end!"

"Au contraire, Kathy my dear; it's just begun!"

It was only then that Kathryn noticed that they were standing in an elegant entryway with marble floors with a grand staircase before them leading up to a second floor. She looked to Q to ask where they were, and noticed he was now wearing a dark black tuxedo.

"Q, what the..."

Her clothing had changed too. She looked down in surprise at the elegant, cream-colored gown. Matching gloves appeared on her hands, heals on her feet, pearl earrings in her ears. She touched the back of her head and found her coppery hair piled fashionably there.

"Well," said Q, looking at her with affectionate interest. "Don't you look delicious. Here, see for yourself." A mirror appeared in his hand. Curious, Kathryn took it.

She looked more radiant than she'd ever looked in her life. Q had done something with make-up to make the bags under her eyes disappear. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were gone too.

"What did you do?" she breathed.

Q smiled.

"Nothing you couldn't do yourself, darling, especially after a good night's sleep...Shall we?"

He offered her his arm once more. The mirror in her hand disappeared. Kathryn hesitated.

"Q, as much as I appreciate the gesture, I really can't..."

"Yes, you can," Q said firmly, taking her hand with his free one and manually wrapping it around his proffered arm. "One date...that's all I ask."

"But Voyager..." he stated to lead her up the staircase.

"...Can do without you for one evening."

"But I didn't finish..."

"Kathryn," they stopped moving and he turned to face her, his eyes serious. "If you really wish to go back, I'll take you, but please don't patronize me with meaningless excuses. Do you really find me so repulsive that you can't bear to spend a single evening alone with me?"

"No, that's not it..." Kathryn faltered.

"Then what is it?" Q sighed patiently.

"Q...how do I trust you?" she gave him a hard searching look.

"Oh," said Q, an incredulous look creeping across his face. "Don't tell me you've suddenly found yourself intimidated? Afraid I'll never stop pestering you for your time, or hurl your ship into a supernova if I don't get my way, or hurt you in some horrible way...am I right?" She nodded. Q looked wounded. "Honestly, Kathy! You stab me to the core! You seem to think I have no manners at all!"

Kathryn crossed her arms and looked at him critically. Q scowled.

"All right, I'll admit, I may have been a bit..._naughty_...in the past...But that's all behind us now! I swear to you," he took her hand with both of his. "I have nothing but the most sincere and honorable intentions towards you! Well," he amended, looking her up and down in that lovely dress. "Maybe _honorable_ isn't the most appropriate choice of word..."

The Captain grinned. Q grinned back at her and winked.

"I mean it, my sweet, wild Kathy; just say the word, and I'll be gone..."

Some sweet music began to play at the top of the staircase, the notes drifting down to meet the two of them.

"...but in the meantime, I do believe they're playing our song."

He offered his arm for a third time, and she took it. _What the hell_, she thought. _One date, and I don't have to finish those reports_

"Come on!" Q chuckled, and together they climbed the stairs.

Kathryn realized they were at some sort of restaurant when they reached the top. An alien in a smart suit stood behind a podium and nodded to them as they approached. Kathryn assumed he must be the seating host. He and Q appeared to know each other, and they spoke together in a language she'd never heard before; a strange mixture of H's and S's that sounded like rushing wind and seemed to have no beginning or end. She wished Q had not made her com-badge disappear. She would have liked to know what they were saying.

The alien seemed pleased to see them and immediately led them to a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. The lights were dim, but there were candles on every table giving a warm glow throughout the room, reflecting off the china and glassware. A small string ensemble played softly in the corner, punctuated by the light chatter of the other guests, and refined _clinks_ and _clanks_ of cutlery.

Q pulled out a chair for her, and she sank into it, remembering suddenly that she was very hungry. Q took his own chair and spoke for a minute more to the alien, who rushed off to bring them menus.

"What is this place?" asked Kathryn, taking her menu from the attentive alien when he returned.

"It's called _Shri'hessa_," Q replied with a smile. "It means _elegance_ in their language. Do you like it?"

"It's lovely...although you'll have to translate my menu for me."

"Gladly."

It was a futile effort. The literal translations of the dishes made no sense to the Captain, and Q had a difficult time coming up with comparable earth dishes to help her understand.

"Flank of _hesh-hesh_? Is that like a steak?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, in a way, I suppose...except the meat is white and rubbery...more like a squid..."

Kathryn pulled a face. Q sighed in frustration.

"I apologize Kathy. I didn't realize how difficult this would be. Would you like to go somewhere else?"

"No, of course not. I'm an explorer, remember? Tonight, I'm leaping into the gastrointestinal unknown," she laughed. Q perked up at the sound.

"I do love that laugh, Kathy."

She blushed.

Finally, Q ended up ordering for them both. Kathryn couldn't help but notice that he fidgeted during their entire conversation before the first course arrived.

"I do hope you like this," he said as the waiter set down hot bowls of bright red soup before each of them. "I've had it before...I always thought it was delicious...but if you don't like it, please say so and order something else...I won't mind at all."

He waited with baited breath as she swallowed her first spoonful. It was a simple vegetable soup, tangy and spiced to perfection. Kathryn smiled at Q. He sighed in relief.

Kathryn realized that regardless of his omnipotence or whatever she wanted to call it, Q was a man who had asked her, a woman he liked, on a first date, and as such, he was a tad nervous. It was so normal, so _human_, and it made her feel more at ease.

The wine Q ordered was delicious. Kathryn told him so, and Q looked very pleased.

"Isn't it funny how the concept of alcohol seems to be a part of every culture?" Kathryn remarked. "Some of Voyager's best trades have been made with alcohol...Romulan ale in particular."

Q chuckled, and regaled her with a morally questionable tale of a time when he'd turned the only water source of a highly prohibitive and conservative settlement into a fountain of wine.

"I thought they could use a bit of fun...They were inebriated before they knew what had happened to them!" Q crowed delightedly, and Kathryn couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm.

"That's terrible!" she managed to gasp as their main course arrived. "Those poor villagers!"

Q had ordered her a steak, or at least something close to it, with a strange mixture of grilled vegetables on the side. It tasted wonderful.

"No, not at all!" cried Q, smiling ruefully. "Those poor souls were looking for any excuse to engage in a bit of debauchery. Of course, I restored them to their original order...at the behest of the Continuum, naturally..." Q sighed and looked a tad rueful. "Those were the days, Kathy. I was a very careless Q back then...before I had all this responsibility and a son to raise..."

Kathryn smiled.

"You said earlier that he'd become a 'master of diplomacy.' I take it everything's peaceful in the Continuum?"

"Yes, he's absolutely gifted when it comes to settling disputes. Junior listens to all sides of the issue, and every time he manages to come up with a solution that pleases everyone. He's a prodigy, a genius, and quite a hit with the ladies..."

"I suppose he takes after his father in that respect," Janeway quipped sarcastically, taking another bite of her meal.

"Oh! Finally making a good impression, am I?" Q chuckled. "Delighted to hear it." He picked up his wineglass and pointed it in her direction. "I do believe that deserves a toast."

"Oh?" said Kathryn, raising her glass. "What are we toasting to?"

"To us," said Q, _clinking_ his wineglass against hers. "To the start of a beautiful relationship."

"Relationship?" scoffed Kathryn, taking a sip of the delicious wine, and feeling a little warm all over. "One date does not a relationship make, Q."

"Are you saying we could never do this again?" asked Q slyly.

"No Q," said Kathryn firmly. "We can't."

"Hmm," said Q, not looking convinced. "We'll see about that." He winked at her.

Kathryn chose not to respond. What they were doing now was fun, but she was sure it could never be anything more, and it wouldn't be fair to lead Q into thinking otherwise...assuming he was serious about all this anyway, which she still wasn't entirely sure he was...

"More wine?" Q interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes please," she answered, determined to enjoy this dinner while it lasted. It wasn't often the Captain got a chance to escape her duties like this, and it probably wouldn't ever happen again.

Their plates were cleared and dessert arrived. Kathryn observed hers dubiously. It looked like some sort of chocolate torte, but the smell was off. Q observed her with amusement as she took a hesitant bite and her expression brightened.

"What is this delicious thing?" she asked, swallowing another morsel.

"_Senh_," Q answered, digging into his own piece. "Isn't it to die for?"

"Oh!" said Kathryn, savoring another bite. "It's heaven!"

Too soon desert was over, plates were cleared, and they were descending the grand stair case together.

"Well Q," said Kathryn, smoothing her dress when they'd reached the foyer. "Thank-you for the lovely, if somewhat unexpected, evening..."

"Why Kathy, you sound as if it were finished!"

"You mean it's not?"

Q snorted.

"No, no, no, my dear. Do you think a date with a Q involves a simple dinner and goodnight?" He scoffed and shook his head. "Hardly..."

"Q," Kathryn sighed. "I have to be on the bridge at oh eight hundred tomorrow morning..."

"Excuses, excuses!" chastised Q. "So many rules and regulations to be observed! So many worries and concerns! Do you ever think to stop and have a bit of fun?"

"Starfleet Captains don't have fun."

"So Picard always told me, but I don't believe a word of it. Don't worry Captain; I'll have you home before curfew," Q mocked, taking her hand.

"Where are we going?" Kathryn asked, resigning herself to a long night ahead.

"Where would you _like_ to go?" Q countered, raising her arm over her head and twirling her around. Kathryn smiled at his good humor.

"Well, where do you take all your other dates?" she teased. Q scowled, then appeared to reconsider. A naughty grin crossed his face. Kathryn caught sight of it and shook her head. "Forget I asked."

"Oh, fine," said Q petulantly. Then he brightened. "I know a place!" He looked down at her dress. "But we'll need to change."

Before she could respond, Q snapped his fingers. She looked down and saw she was wearing cool linen pants and a casual sweater and sandals. She looked up at Q, in khakis and a flamboyant Hawaiian shirt.

"Ready?" he asked, and when she nodded, opened the foyer's double doors.

Instantly, a warm, fragrant wind played across her face. They were standing in the sand of a beautiful beach at dusk. The foyer they'd just been standing in had disappeared entirely, leaving long stretches of sand and water in both directions.

"Where are we?" Kathryn asked, taking off her sandals and squishing her toes into the white sand beneath them.

"A world in another galaxy, actually," Q replied casually. He took her hand and led her down to the water's edge. "Let's go for a stroll, shall we?"

"Oh yes," Kathryn answered. Breathing the sweet air, feeling the last bright orange rays of the warm sun on her skin, hearing the crashing waves of the ocean, and holding the hand on an enjoyable male companion...Kathryn felt more at peace than she had in years. Turning to Q, she gave him a mischievous grin, which he returned with one of his own.

"I'll race you to that driftwood log over there!" she called, and took off before he could respond.

"Not fair!" Q cried, laughing, and raced after her.

Years in Starfleet had given Kathryn excellent physical form, which she actively maintained on Voyager, playing hoverball on the holodeck, and sometimes tennis; however, she was no match for Q's sprinting ability. He reached the driftwood log a good six seconds before she did.

"Not fair!" she huffed, leaning down, hands on her knees. "You're not allowed to use Q powers!"

"Who said I did?" cried Q, puffing a bit himself and pointing to his body. "Human form, same physical limitations...You're just mad I beat you, despite your underhanded attempt to get a head start." Q clucked his tongue and wagged a finger at her. Kathryn chuckled and collapsed cross-legged on the sand, still catching her breath. Q did the same. They sat side by side facing the ocean. Kathryn took a deep breath of salty air.

"Oh Q, thank you for this...I needed it." She turned and gave him a genuine smile. Q smiled back. He reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're most welcome, my sweet Kathy."

Q's eye locked with her own, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Half her body suddenly tingled in anticipation of the thought, and the other half protested in resistance, but Q did nothing except study her face intently in that disconcerting way he had. After a long minute, he turned to look out the water but slid his hand over to cover hers in the sand. It was a touching gesture, and Kathryn found herself entwining her fingers with his.

"Now darling, about my prize..." said Q, turning to grin impishly at her.

"Prize?" she asked warily. "For what?"

"For winning the race, of course." Q snorted, running the pad of his thumb over the length of hers. It sent strange tingles all over her body, and she had to pull her hand away to make them stop. For a split second, Q looked disappointed, but it was quickly covered with his usual expression of good humor.

"I don't remember saying there'd be prizes," Kathryn quipped smartly.

"Now, now, Kathy...every competition needs a prize of sorts for the winner."

"What's wrong with the simple satisfaction of winning?" she asked.

"It's not enough...especially not for a Q," said Q, arching an eyebrow. She had to smirk at that one.

"Well," said Kathryn, not knowing what else to say. "What do you want?" She winced internally, knowing she'd just set herself up for something. _Come on Kathryn, sharpen up,_ she thought.

"Well..." said Q, apparently pausing to consider. Suddenly his face brightened. "I'd like to do this again...another date...say, the day after tomorrow?"

Kathryn hesitated. True, she was enjoying this evening tremendously. Q was being a perfect gentleman, the food had been delicious, and she felt relaxed and carefree, sitting here in the sand and evening sun...but did she really want to encourage this infatuation of Q's? Was it fair to lead him on when she was pretty sure it wouldn't work out between them?

Then, unbidden, Chakotay's face came to mind. She'd never admit it aloud, but his unspoken rejection of her had made feel...deficient somehow; like she didn't get to be loved...ever. It wasn't fair. If Chakotay could go on and live happily ever after with Seven, didn't she deserve something like that too? Especially when Q was here offering it to her?

Maybe it could work...for a little while at least. Nothing serious...just her, Q, and just a few fun dates, a little companionship to ease her loneliness here in the Delta Quadrant, something small just to take the sting out of it all. That was harmless, right?

"All right," she said, turning to Q with a small smile.

"Ooh! Goody!" smirked Q, reaching for her hand and holding it again.

They sat there together, talking quietly about nothing important, until the sun finally set and the air turned cool. It suddenly occurred to Kathryn that she'd been away from Voyager for several hours, and what was worse, she'd been transported away (somewhat) against her will, in front of her Vulcan security officer, and a very angry First Officer, who must have alerted the whole ship to her disappearance...

"Q," she said, standing up and brushing sand off her clothes. "I need to get back."

Q sighed dramatically, slowly rising from his place in the sand.

"I concluded as much," he murmured, still holding her hand.

"It's just that, they're probably looking for me...and cursing you..."

Q grinned deviously and chuckled.

"I do seem to annoy them quite frequently, don't I?"

"They're not the only ones..." Kathryn quipped. Q gasped in mock offense, but began stroking the length of her thumb with the pad of his own again, and this time Kathryn didn't pull her hand away. She grinned and looked down at the sand.

They stood like that for a second, then Q cleared his throat.

"Ready?" he asked. Kathryn nodded. The beach disappeared with a small _whoosh_, and suddenly they were standing in her empty ready room once more. Kathryn looked down and saw that she was again wearing her uniform. It felt constricting.

Q was also wearing his usual uniform. He looked down at it in distaste.

"Binding, isn't it?" he asked Kathryn. She smirked and shook her head at him, despite the fact that she'd been thinking the exact same thing. "Well, _ma capitane_, here you are, safe and sound, and no worse for wear."

"Yes," replied Karthryn with a small smile. "It was a wonderful evening Q. I'm looking forward to the next one. Thank-you."

Q scoffed incredulously.

"Did I just hear you right, Kathy, darling? Did you actually just _thank_ me for whisking you away in my most dashing manner? And most politely too! My goodness! I don't think I'd believe it if I hadn't just heard it with my own ears!"

Kathryn rolled her eyes and turned away in annoyance, but Q quickly grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him again, his expression earnest.

"It was my pleasure, Kathryn."

He learned in to kiss her, but suddenly seemed to change his mind. Trailing his hand from her shoulder down the length of her left arm, Q took her hand and pressed it to his lips instead. The Captain felt her whole body flush in response. His eyes burned mercilessly into hers as he released her hand.

"Goodnight, love," he whispered, and with a flash, disappeared.

Kathryn wobbled with unsteady legs over to her couch and sat down. Her face was serious as she called security to let them know that she was back and okay, but inside, she was smiling.

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Review if you liked it! -Coffee


	4. The Morning After

Hopefully this chapter makes sense...:)

Enjoy!

-Coffee

-------------------------------------

Janeway woke up the next morning with a happy feeling. It took her a minute to figure out what the difference was...and then it all came rushing back. The night before and her exploits with Q...and just as quickly as it came, the happy feeling was gone, replaced by one of frank disbelief and mild horror.

"What the hell was I thinking?" she asked herself in the bathroom mirror. "Computer, activate sonic shower."

Not only had she temporarily lost her mind and allowed Q to whisk her away, she'd actually enjoyed the experience, which in itself wasn't a problem, except for the fact that it was Q, and she shouldn't be encouraging his endeavors, regardless of how much she enjoyed them. It simply wasn't appropriate. Especially when she didn't have nearly the depth of feeling he _proclaimed_ to have for her, and not to mention he had this nasty habit of putting her entire crew in jeopardy, intentionally or not...it was all just too damn complicated and messy to think about, so she was better off simply keeping to herself.

_Oh,_ said part of her brain_. But he's such a good kisser!_

Kathryn was quick to shut that part of her brain up.

_It doesn't matter,_ she thought silently. _So I'm a little attracted to him. Big deal! It's not the first time I've been attracted to someone and it didn't work out._ Chakotay's face came to mind. _See?_ She snapped at the errant part of her brain_. Not the first time at all. Besides...I'm the Captain. I have to get this crew home. It wouldn't matter if I wanted to pursue Q or not. Bottom line is that he's a distraction. Whether he means to or not, he disrupts Voyager's ability to function. Hell, he disrupts MY ability to function. It's a bad idea. End of story._

The problem that remained now was how to let Q down gently, especially given that she'd agreed to go on another date with him the next evening. _Well, _Kathryn thought, stepping out of her shower and drying off. _I'll just have to make it clear to him that we can be friends and nothing more. _She rolled her eyes at the cliché.

She finished up the rest of her morning routine with a strict, no-nonsense approach, mentally making a list of what she had to do to rectify the whole scenario.

_First, I need to apologize to Chakotay for not backing him up when he took a stand against Q last night,_ she thought. Not because she completely approved of his behavior—although in retrospect, he done exactly what she should have done in the first place; refuse to interact with Q for more than what was necessary—but because she was smart enough to know that the Captain and the First Officer of a Federation ship needed to function together as well as possible. In allowing Q to abuse Chakotay the way he had, and then asking Chakotay to leave...well, in short, it wasn't the smartest thing she could have done. No doubt she'd hurt Chakotay's feelings, and she needed to have him behind her 100...not silently questioning her in the back of his mind like she knew he sometimes did. Her personal feelings about him needed to take a backseat to her professional priorities.

Second, she needed to formulate some sort of plan of attack for warding off Q's advances. Much as it disturbed her to admit, she had a bit of a weak spot when it came to Q. She put up with a lot more from him, and gave him more allowances than she would with most people. She wasn't sure if this was because he was a powerful Q and she just didn't want to set him off, or if there was else something deeper and more personal involved. She hadn't been afraid of him when he'd kissed her, but she still let him do it because she was lonely, and vulnerable, and attracted to him, and his lips made her whole body tingle...

_Stop that!_ Kathryn mentally chided herself.

_Third_, she thought as she applied her lipstick, _I need to stick to my guns! _

She walked into her living room, tucking in her uniform jacket as she went. She was met there by an unwelcome surprise.

Her couch under the windows was missing, and in its place was a round table with an elaborate breakfast spread across it. Hesitantly, Kathryn approached the table and was relieved to see that it was only set for one, which meant Q didn't intend to be joining her. _Thank goodness_, she thought. She didn't know if she could deal with Q this early in the morning; she wasn't in work-mode yet.

In the middle of the table was a single red rose in a crystal vase. In the surrounding greens was another note. Kathryn pulled it free, her curiosity getting the better of her. Opening it, her eyes ran across the bold script.

_Looking forward to tomorrow evening._

_Love, Q_

Kathryn scowled. _Love, eh? Sure..._ She looked from the note back to the table with regret. It smelled delicious, and she was sure it would taste just as good as it smelled, and it seemed a shame to let such a tasteful spread go to waste, but if she was really going to reject Q, she had to reject all of him, including his extravagant gifts.

Leaving the card on the table, Kathryn grabbed a PADD to work on and left her quarters, heading towards the mess hall. She'd have a cup of Neelix's coffee and start her day as usual.

She rounded a corner imperiously, just in time to see the back of Commander Chakotay enter the mess hall. _Good_, she thought, following him. _I'll apologize to him now and get it over with. _

"Oh, Captain!" called a cheerful tenor. Janeway turned to see the Doctor approaching her purposefully. "I was able to analyze several of the samples you sent me from the nebula, and I believe I've found a way to counteract the radiation..."

"That's wonderful, Doctor," Janeway interrupted him. "I look forward to reading your report...but not before my first cup of coffee."

"Oh, of course! Please, don't let me keep you!" the Doctor continued in his usual chipper manner. "I think you'll find my results quite fascinating, particularly the..."

"Doctor," Janeway said warningly. The Doctor closed his mouth at once.

"My apologies, Captain," he said, taking a step back. "Enjoy your breakfast."

"Thank-you," replied Janeway diplomatically. "We'll have plenty to discuss later." She turned and walked through the mess hall doors. Almost instantly, Neelix approached her with a coffee mug and server.

"Good morning, Captain!" cried the little Talaxian jovially. "How did you sleep?"

"Well enough Neelix, thank-you," she replied, just managing to keep the irritation out of her voice as she gratefully accepted her warm mug of coffee. Why was everyone so damn happy this morning? She took her first sip as she scanned the room for Chakotay. The strange flavor of her coffee made her do a double-take.

"Neelix, is this a new blend?" she asked, looking down into her mug suspiciously.

"No Captain, it's the same one I've always made," Neelix answered, following her gaze into the mug. "Does it taste bad?"

"No, it's delicious, it's just that..." she started to say, when suddenly it occurred to her; this was the same blend of coffee that Q had left on her desk the day before. Growling in frustration, she set the offending mug on the serving counter.

"Oh Captain, I'm sorry! I don't know what I did wrong! It's the same as I always make it..." Neelix sputtered, opening the server he held in his hand and sniffing at it.

"It's fine, Neelix. It isn't you, it's Q..."

"Q!" Now it was her turn to be cut off. "Q did something to my coffee?" Neelix looked enraged. Janeway placed a calming hand on his shoulder, hoping to silence him before a particular omnipotent being took it into his mind to show up.

"It's all right, Neelix. There's nothing wrong with the coffee. It's just this certain blend that he knows I like...here." She grabbed her mug and pressed it into his empty hand. "Try it. I'm sure you'll like it...maybe even learn how to replicate it for me?"

"Oh! Of course Captain!" Neelix answered, ever eager to please. He took a generous swig from her mug and smacked his lips for a second, attempting to identify the different flavors. "There's a dash of cinnamon...maybe a hint of nutmeg? Allspice? No..."

"Sounds like you're on the right track," said Kathryn, trying to remain calm. "Neelix, have you seen Commander Chakotay?"

"Yes, he's over there," the Talaxian nodded his head in the general direction, obviously absorbed in the flavors of her coffee mug.

"Thank-you," said Kathryn, and scanned the room once more. She spotted him off in the very corner of the mess hall and began to make her way towards him, the beginnings of a smile pulling at her lips. Then she realized with a start that he wasn't sitting alone; Seven was sitting there with him. They presented such an intimate scene that Kathryn froze where she stood. A wave of jealousy and sadness passed through her. Not only did Chakotay not have dinner with her anymore, it appeared now that they wouldn't be having breakfast together either.

Kathryn set her jaw and turned on her heel. No coffee, no Chakotay, Q interfering with everything everywhere she went...it was going to be a long morning.

She arrived on the bridge ten minutes early and made straight for her Ready Room, only barely nodding hello to the other members of the dayshift. She swore she could almost feel Tuvok raise an eyebrow as she flew by. Once the doors _whooosh_ed shut behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, her replicator made her a mug of normal, non-Q coffee. She gulped it down, and then replicated another. Feeling a bit better, Kathryn sat down at her desk, almost happy to see the reports she'd neglected the night before piled in front of her. Work. Mind-numbing, constant, dependable work. Kathryn jumped in with both feet.

A few hours later, she was feeling almost normal, even better than normal. A large number of the PADDs that had been piled on one side of her desk were now neatly stacked on the other. She was on her fourth cup of coffee, and she felt empowered.

The door beeped.

"Come," she called to whomever was on the other side, hoping it wasn't Chakotay. Thankfully, it was Tuvok.

"Good morning, Captain."

"Good morning, Tuvok."

It occurred to Kathryn that the last time she'd seen Tuvok, she'd been wrapped in Q's arms and about to disappear, and that Tuvok was the first person she'd called upon her return. It dawned on her that she hadn't spent much time at all with Tuvok recently...and he was supposed to be one of her best friends. Shame on her.

"I hope you weren't too worried about me last night," she began a little lamely, slapping herself mentally for saying something so dumb. Of course he'd been worried.

"I was indeed," Tuvok replied calmly. "If you remember Captain, the last time Q took you away, you were almost killed by an American Civil War firing squad in the Continuum."

"I do remember," Kathryn said softly. _And I also remember that you were one of the first ones to run over the hill and fire in my defense. _"Oh Tuvok...I'm sorry."

Tuvok quirked an eyebrow.

"Do not apologize, Captain. I only wish to express my relief in the fact that you were unharmed."

"I am. I know, but...thank you for being so concerned about me."

"You are welcome. I am sure that you would do the same for me," he replied with typical Vulcan stoic-ness. Janeway smiled. In her grievances over Chakotay, she'd forgotten that Tuvok was one of her most trusted confidants...having known her and advised her for far longer than anyone else.

"Tuvok," she said suddenly. "Are you free for dinner tonight? It's just occurred to me that we haven't spent much time together at all recently. I'd like to catch up."

The Vulcan looked pleased...if a Vulcan could look pleased.

"That would be acceptable."

"Wonderful. Nineteen hundred hours? My quarters? I'll try not to burn anything."

"Very well. I will see you then," Tuvok replied. He turned gracefully and exited her Ready Room. It occurred to Kathryn as the door _whoosh_ed shut behind him, that Tuvok hadn't come to report any official business, only to tell her he was glad she was unharmed and that he'd worried about her. Kathryn sighed, feeling ashamed. She'd turned into that annoying woman who focused on a potential love interest to the neglect of everyone else around her. Not that she and Chakotay had ever been "love interests." She was sure of that now.

_Don't think about that...get back to work._

A bright flash in front of her desk let her know that that wasn't going to happen. Kathryn looked up at Q.

"Well, honestly Kathy, I'm hurt."

"For some reason Q, I find that doubtful." Kathryn replied, looking back down at her PADD.

"Oh! You do, do you?" huffed Q. "There I was, being lectured in the Continuum, and still, I was thinking of you!"

"How flattering, what did you do _this_ time?"

Q hesitated for a split second before waving his hand carelessly.

"Nothing of consequence. _Your_ actions on the other hand...shameful! First, you don't even _touch_ that lovely breakfast I laid out for you in your quarters this morning. Then, you refuse to drink the coffee I sent you. And now, I find you're seeing other men!"

"What other men?" Kathryn snorted. "You mean Tuvok? Don't be ridiculous."

"Not to mention he had the nerve to suggest that you weren't safe in my presence!"

"Well, come to think of it, Q, he did have a point..."

Q gasped in outrage.

"He did not! When have I ever put you in harm's way?"

Kathryn looked up at him incredulously.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" she asked dangerously.

"Oh yes, by all means," Q replied smoothly, acting as though she were about to tell him a particularly good bedtime story, and taking a seat on the edge of her desk.

"For starters, I didn't appreciate being pulled into the Continuum when it was in the middle of a civil war! They almost shot us to death, or have you forgotten?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten! But Kathy, I never would have taken you there if I'd thought...I needed you to see..."

"Well I saw! And I almost didn't live to tell about it! Not to mention the week you let your son run amuck on my ship..."

"He learned some valuable lessons that week!"

"And almost killed us all in the process!"

Q scowled.

"You're exaggerating! No one actually got hurt!"

Kathryn stood up and glared at Q, who did the same to her.

"There are other ways to be hurt, Q! Other ways to be in danger beside actual physical harm!"

"I know that Kathy! And I set it all right in the end, didn't I? Come now, dearest! Why so cross?" He reached to take her hand, but she pulled back and strode up to her replicator.

"Coffee, black!" she snarled. The mug appeared, she took a gulp, and growled in frustration. Whirling on Q, who to her surprise was standing right behind her looking nonchalant, she thrust the mug into his hand. "Damn it, Q!"

"Oh Kathy, I was only trying to be nice! You seemed to like this blend so much the other day..."

"What I don't like is your interference! You do these things with no thought..."

"On the contrary! I've given you a great deal of thought!"

"Well stop it! I don't want your thoughts Q! I don't want anything from you! You just can't seem to understand that!"

"_Moi_? Not understand? An omnipotent Q like myself not able to follow the primitive thought processes of a scrawny biped such as yourself?" Q snorted derisively and advanced on her position. "Hardly! I know _exactly_ what's going on here, _ma capitaine_ ...you're pushing me away!"

Kathryn froze up inside for just a second, but stood her ground. He was right, of course. Trust Q to be spot on with the one thing she didn't want him to grasp.

"You were never close to begin with," she snapped in self defense. Q's eyes suddenly went hard.

"_Au contraire,_" he hissed dangerously. "Perhaps I should _remind_ you of just how close I was."

Before Kathryn could stop him, Q pulled her body to his in a grip that allowed no escape. Kathryn tensed, but forced herself not to respond, pretending as though his proximity had no effect on her. It was a total lie, of course; he felt good, he smelled good, but she managed to hold strong. Focusing on the Captain's pips on his collar, she stood still. Neither of them moved for a full minute, both locked in a silent battle of wills. After a time, Q sighed in mock desperation.

"You're not making this any fun, love," he whispered teasingly in her ear.

"I'll give you three guesses as to why," she snarled in return.

"Oh Kathy, you're such a dreadful tease," he chuckled, pulling her closer. Kathryn struggled and managed to get her arms wedged between her body and his, pushing against his chest.

"Let me go!" she snapped.

"No," Q answered playfully, and lightening fast grabbed her wrists and pinned her arms behind her back. She growled in frustration and tried knee him in groin. Q gasped and deflected the blow with one of his legs. There was a flash, and Kathryn felt something solid against her back. To her dismay, she realized that Q's body had her pinned against the wall of her Ready Room, and even worse, he was standing between her legs, making it impossible for her to try to kick him again. She struggled to escape the horrifyingly intimate position to no avail. Q pressed her into the wall with even more force than before, and whispered quite distinctly in her ear:

"I like it when you wiggle."

"Go to hell," she hissed, and stopped moving immediately. Q clucked his tongue at her and shook his head despairingly, while studying her face intently. "Let me go!" she repeated.

"You're shaking," he observed.

"With disgust!" she spat. "Get off me!"

"Tell me something," Q said, as though he hadn't heard her. "What's made you so upset this morning?"

"_You_ have. Let go of me."

"Last night, you seemed so relaxed Kathy...and this morning you're entirely tense."

"You don't think the fact that you're pinning me to the wall has anything to do with that?" she scoffed.

"I'm speaking about your behavior earlier. Why didn't you accept my gifts?"

"I don't want your damn gifts," Kathryn sighed.

"Why not?" Q murmured calmly.

"Because I don't love you, and I don't want you thinking otherwise." Despite the fact that she was in an extremely compromising and uncomfortable position, Kathryn started to relax in degrees. Q was restraining her, but not hurting her, and the tone of his voice was soothing.

"That was very considerate of you, Kathryn, but in all fairness, you haven't really given me a chance," he was studying her face again with un-Q-like seriousness. Kathryn took a breath.

"I'm afraid I can't afford to give you a chance, Q. I'm sorry."

Q quirked an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"Because it's too risky."

"How so?" he asked quietly. Behind her back, she felt his thumb gently stoke the skin of her wrist.

"You distract me, and the members of my crew. I can't do my job with you constantly popping in and out..."

"So I'll be more discreet with my entrances and exits. What else?"

"You don't respect my boundaries, my personal space, my wishes, or my privacy."

"Of course I do!" cried Q. Kathryn looked down pointedly at the lack of space between them. Q sighed, but didn't move.

"I mean it Q! Last night, you whisked me out of here despite the fact the explicitly asked you not to!"

"But in all fairness, Kathryn, when I told you I'd return you to Voyager, you chose to stay with me."

"I shouldn't have had to make that choice in the first place, Q!"

"All right," said Q, diplomatically. "I understand what you're saying, and I will do my best to respect your person...starting now."

"Don't patronize me, Q."

"I didn't mean to...just using a phrase I picked up from Junior."

He stepped back and Kathryn shot by him, straight to her desk, doing her best to ignore that the front of her body suddenly missed the warmth of his.

"So," Q continued, sitting on the edge of her desk and counting off on his fingers. "Less distraction from work, more respect of personal space and wishes...am I leaving anything out?"

"Yes, the fact that it will never work out between us. Period," she said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair. For the first time, a look of true frustration passed over Q's face.

"You would have made it work for Commander Chakotay," he muttered petulantly.

"The Commander and I were never romantically involved...not that it's any of your business Q," Kathryn hissed.

"Oh, now who's patronizing who?" Q chuckled. "Please, Kathy, if that idiot ever took it into his head to pursue you like he should have, you can't honestly tell me that you would have turned him down?"

Kathryn nodded her head, not trusting her voice. Q was right, but damned if she'd let him know it.

"And what does he do instead?" Q cried, standing up and pacing before her desk. "He sits there like a Tulusian slug, eying you mournfully every time you walk by, feeling sorry for himself because he can't have you. Coward!

"Commander Chakotay is a member of my crew! We couldn't have a relationship because it wouldn't be appropriate!"

"According to whom?" asked Q. "Certainly not the rest of your crew. They all seem to want you to be happy. Kathy, they probably prayed the two of you would hook up so they wouldn't have to suffer through the spectacle of you both dancing around each other!"

Kathryn was horrified at the thought, but she'd think about it later.

"It doesn't matter, Q. I will not engage in a romantic relationship with a member of my crew. Ever."

"Which is exactly why you should fall in love with me, Kathy; I'm not a member of your crew. It works out perfectly."

"No," she said stubbornly. "It doesn't. The fact that you're _not_ a member of Voyager only makes it worse. Voyager is my life right now. Getting this ship, this crew, home...it's the most important thing in the world to me. I have my hands _full_ trying to take care of them, dammit!" she slapped her hand on the desktop for emphasis, passion shinning in her eyes. "You're too different, Q. You don't fit into life here...I don't think you ever could. It's not your fault, it's just the way things are, but until this ship and its crew are back in the Alpha Quadrant, I'm not willing to consider a relationship with anyone," she asserted, hoping Q wouldn't realize that her statement wasn't entirely true,

"So, even though you couldn't date a member of your crew, you need a man who has the understanding and life experience that a member of your crew would have? Do I have that correct, Madam Captain?"

"Exactly," Kathryn was surprised. Maybe he finally understood? She watched with growing alarm as a grin slowly spread across Q's face and his eyes began to dance. _Maybe not..._she thought.

"Oh my darling Captain!" Q cried, clasping his hands together in delight. "This is perfect! I'd never have expected it all to come together like this, but it has! How wonderful!"

"What are you going on about now, Q?" Janeway sighed, rubbing her suddenly aching temples with both hands. Upon seeing her do this, Q moved to stand behind her chair and take over the job. Mentally exhausted and noting how the circular motions of his cool fingers made the pain and tension melt away, Kathryn didn't resist him. Instead she sat and braced herself for the prolific statement she knew he was going to make.

"Well, of course I've been pondering for some time now how my Q-ness and your human qualities would be able to mesh. I thought at first that my omnipotence would not be an issue...After all, hundreds of mortal females across the universe seemed to find me irresistible for that quality alone...however, I soon realized that you were no ordinary female, my dear, and no such shallow display of power would lure you into my arms..."

Kathryn rolled her eyes and concentrated on not giving herself over to the blissful sensations Q was creating by massaging her scalp.

"Then, of course, there was the reaction of the Continuum High Council when I announced my intentions to win your affections..."

"Oh?" she said. Q was working his way down her neck and starting on her shoulders. Unable to stop herself, Kathryn found herself leaning into his touch. "And what did they have to say about it?"

"They seemed to be of the impression that I wasn't being sincere," answered Q, digging deep with his thumbs into the area between her shoulder blades. Kathryn bit back a moan of pleasure. "They believed I was looking for another opportunity to interfere with humanity." Kathryn snorted at that one.

"I wonder why?" she queried nonchalantly.

"As did I!" cried Q, oblivious to her intended sarcasm. "I spent the last week trying to convince them of my genuine feelings for you, and this morning they actually dared to offer me an ultimatum!"

"What was it?" Kathryn asked, bracing herself. _Here it comes_...

"Well," Q huffed. "They gave me one month to demonstrate my earnestness, and should I fail to convince them of my love for you by the end of that time, I'll be banished from the Continuum...No, Kathryn, they're not pleased with me at all. Even my son couldn't get them to change their minds, despite his advanced negotiating abilities."

Kathryn froze under his touch.

"Q...Why would you risk...?" she started to say, but Q was quick to shush her. Placing one hand on her cheek, he turned her chair to face him, and kneeled on the floor before her without breaking the contact.

"You know why," he whispered. "Isn't your history littered with examples of the foolish things people do in the name of love? Consider this another step forward in my understanding of Humanity."

Kathryn blushed, but held his gaze evenly.

"How will you prove to them that you...care...for me?"

"Well, dearest Kathy," Q began, reaching out and grasping both her hands in his. "Originally, I had intended to dazzle you, showering you with a display of everything you deserve that a Q like myself could offer...however, you've just given me a much better idea."

"Tell me," she whispered, both dreading and anticipating what he would say. He rose and considered her thoughtfully, still holding her hands in his.

"There are still some things to be arranged," he answered, deliberately not answering her question. "I'll be back soon."

"Q—" she began in protest, but couldn't finish because Q chose that moment to steal a kiss, pressing his mouth to hers in a way that made Kathryn glad she was already sitting down. Q kissed her quickly, winking cheekily as he pulled away.

"Until later, Madam Captain," he whispered playfully, and in a flash, disappeared.

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Love it? Hate it? Please review. -Coffee


	5. Dinner and Dessert

Here's a chapter for all the people who've left me panicked reviews in the last year, especially Danielle Scully...sorry I left you guys hanging...lol

Enjoy

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There was really nothing for the Captain to do except wait for Q to reappear at some point to reveal his newest scheme. In the meantime, she'd promised to have dinner with her tactical officer two hours after her shift ended. At least it gave her something to think about...something that wasn't Q or Chakotay.

Speaking of Chakotay, he'd been casually polite to her all day--a behavior which usually indicated he was upset with her. Even after she'd called him to her Ready Room to deliver the apology she hadn't gotten to give him at breakfast, he'd still been coolly nonchalant to her throughout the rest of their shift. Kathryn decided to ignore him as best as she could. After all, she better things to do than sit around and coddle her First Officer.

_Funny,_ Kathryn thought. _There was a time when that's ALL I wanted to do._

She was glad when the first shift ended and the second shift arrived to relieve them.

"I'll see you at nineteen hundred?" she asked Tuvok, casually leaning against his workstation as he finished a diagnostic before letting the second shift ensign take over.

"Yes, Captain," replied Tuvok evenly. "Shall I bring anything?"

"A bottle of wine might be nice..." she hinted teasingly, knowing Tuvok didn't share her penchant for good alcohol.

"Very well," he said with an imperceptible sigh. Kathryn grinned. She didn't notice Chakotay walk behind her to the turbo lift until he'd already passed her and the doors were closing. She frowned for a brief second. He never left a shift without asking her about her evening plans, or at least saying goodbye. _How childish,_ she thought.

She smiled at Tuvok and went to get her quarters in presentable order.

1900 hours rolled around just as Kathryn was replicating dessert. Her doorbell chirped.

"Come!" she called, and Tuvok quietly entered, holding a bottle of good chardonnay. Kathryn smiled at him, glad she'd thought to invite him to dinner. It had been too long. She'd been neglectful of their friendship.

The dinner went well. Kathryn had taken care to replicate food suitable for the Vulcan palate. Nothing too spicy or exotic. Tuvok graciously allowed her to pour him a glass of chardonnay, but only sipped at it intermittently. They talked quietly of old times and old friends, new friends, and Voyager. Tuvok made her laugh with his usual blunt insights on everything. Soon it was late, and they both needed to rest before going on duty in the morning. Kathryn walked Tuvok to her door and gently took his hand in hers.

"I'm glad you came here tonight." she said, smiling warmly. "It was good to see you."

"As am I," Tuvok replied stoically. "I enjoy your company, Captain."

She squeezed his hand and said goodnight. Tuvok left and the doors _whooshed_ shut behind him.

It felt strange to be alone. Kathryn recycled her dishes and leftover food. When her dinning area was clean, she sat down on her couch, thinking she'd read a few more chapters in _Pride and Prejudice_, a Jane Austen novel she'd replicated only days before. Kathryn held the book in her hand, but found herself frowning at the cover with distaste. She didn't feel like reading, which was strange; she almost always read after dinner. She felt restless and agitated. _What's wrong with me?_ She wondered, absently pacing the living room floor. _What do I want?_ She had just rounded the coffee table for the third time when the answer came to her in a disconcerting flash. _I want friends. I want to DO something tonight besides just sit here and read a book. _

Unwillingly, she remembered how much fun she'd had the previous evening with Q. It had been so nice to spend time with someone who wasn't a subordinate on her ship, someone who was an equal that she couldn't give orders to. Tuvok's visit had been very nice, but the Vulcan was always so reserved. While she had friendly ties with her senior staff, she could never truly let herself go around them. She thought enviously of the holodeck program Harry had invited her to the day before. No doubt that he, Tom and B'Elanna had enjoyed themselves. They were just a few friends spending time together, and as long as they were all trapped in the Delta Quadrant, she, the Captain, could have none of it. There would be no completely candid evenings with too much wine and laughter. There would be no fellow officers crowded around her table in the Mess Hall casually telling her the latest gossip. It wasn't possible for her to have those experiences and still be the supreme authority figure on this ship. Maybe if she was a different person, or the situation was slightly less extreme...she was sure that there was a Captain out there somewhere who could balance being friends with her crewmates and being their superior officer, but she wasn't that captain. It was so unfair she wanted to scream.

_But I have a good job,_ she thought. _I have a wonderful crew who's very loyal to me, and I have the opportunity to study a region of space that no Starfleet Captain has ever seen. I'm not entirely hopeless!_

Kathryn slumped onto her couch with a sigh. In the end, there really wasn't anything she could do. She was lonely, and she would stay lonely until Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant.

The chime on her door chirruped.

"Come!" she called. The door _whooshed _open, and to Kathryn's surprise, it was Q.

"I used the door," he told her smugly.

"I noticed," Kathryn quipped acerbically. "Thank you." In her brief period of self-pity, Kathryn had forgotten all about Q. How had she managed that? In the end it didn't matter, because she was suddenly very glad to see him.

She watched with some amusement as Q strode through the door, acting as though he owned the place, and made a beeline straight for her. He pulled a rose from behind his back and presented it to her with a bit of a flourish. She accepted it with a small smile.

"I know we weren't scheduled to have our next date until tomorrow evening, but I was bored and wanted to see you," Q said almost belligerently, sitting down on her couch and patting the space next to him suggestively. Kathryn walked to the couch and sat next to him gratefully.

"I'm glad you're here," she said, her nose buried in the rose he'd brought her. "I was lonely."

Q looked at her with surprise. Kathryn blushed and continued to fiddle with her rose. Why did she say that? She hadn't meant to say that at all.

"Careful, _Ma Capitaine_," Q chuckled. "I might actually think you enjoy my presence." Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Not likely," she snorted, putting her nose back into her flower. "Where is this from? It smells delicious."

"Do you like it?" asked Q, looking pleased. "They grow them in a hothouse on Felmar Prime. Would you like another?" Kathryn smiled and shook her head. One was enough. "Very well," Q sighed.

They sat together in silence for a moment.

"You're awfully quiet," Kathryn said. She stood to replicate a vase for the rose, but Q eliminated the need by snapping his fingers and making one appear next to her copy of _Pride and Prejudice._ Kathryn put the rose in the vase.

"Is there something you wish to discuss?" Q asked.

There were a number of things she wanted to discuss; mostly having to do with what Q had told her earlier about being kicked out of the Continuum for being infatuated with her, but when she looked back at him sitting on her couch, she got the impression that he was very tired.

"Nothing that can't wait," she murmured. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

"That would be nice, thank you," said Q, politely. Kathryn replicated and uncorked another bottle of the same chardonnay Tuvok had brought her earlier in the evening. She handed Q a glass and resumed her place on the couch with her own.

Q took a sip from his glass and made a terrible face. "Awful!" he cried. Kathryn didn't know if she should laugh or be insulted. She watched as he concentrated on his drink, which soon turned dark blue.

"That was an excellent chardonnay you just snubbed," she chided gently. Q snorted derisively and handed her his drink.

"Taste this and you'll understand why," he quipped.

"What is it?" Kathryn asked.

"Just try it," said Q, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Kathryn swallowed a sip of what she was sure was the best wine she'd ever had in her life. Q moved to take his glass back, but she slapped his hand away playfully and took another sip. Q chuckled at her quietly and another drink flashed into his hand.

"Told you you'd like it," his voice was smug. Kathryn rolled her eyes at him and sipped at the drink again. "I should warn you though, this stuff has a much higher alcohol content than you're used to, darling."

"Doesn't taste like it," Kathryn smirked, swallowing another mouthful and leaning back in to the couch contentedly.

"Just wait a bit...you'll feel it," Q chuckled, watching her carefully as he drank his own drink. A moment of silence passed between them, but it wasn't the uncomfortable kind. Q was right, the blue drink did have a kick, and Kathryn gave him a bit of a goofy smile as a feeling of overwhelming warmth and well-being coursed through her.

"You didn't come here just to get me drunk, did you?" she laughed, looking at the handsome Q next to her.

"Of course not," Q smirked in a manner that suggested the opposite. "You're the one who confiscated my drink, Kathy."

"Ha! You didn't exactly protest," the Captain laughed. She looked down at her drink and realized ruefully that she'd almost finished it. Shrugging to herself in a devil-may-care way, Kathryn kicked back the last two swallows and set her empty glass down on the coffee table with a bit more force than necessary. She heard a snort of disbelief from Q and looked up to meet his eyes. His gaze was part surprise and part admiration.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked silkily with a hit of sarcasm.

"Yes. Thank you," said the Captain in all seriousness. She stood unsteadily with every intention of going to the replicator and getting a glass of water, but something cleverly tangled itself in her feet, and she tripped, landing unceremoniously in Q's lap with her back to his chest.

"Oops! Why hello..." he said with a smirk.

"Cute," she sneered, turning to look at him. "You did that on purpose."

"Moi? Certainly not..."

"Liar," she quipped, and tried to stand up again. This time, she lost her balance all by herself, landing back in Q's lap with even less grace than before. She couldn't hear him laughing, but she could feel it against her back.

"Shut up," she hissed. "I need a glass of water."

She felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her back against his chest. The action sent waves of heat all through her. His other hand appeared in front of her face holding the requested glass of water. He was chuckling at her softly.

_Fine_, she thought._ He wants to play? I'll play..._

Taking the water glass, Kathryn gulped it down before setting it on the coffee table and leaning back into the suddenly tense Q behind her. Her head rested lightly on his right shoulder. Slowly she turned her face to the side of his neck and exhaled through her nose, wondering if he'd feel it on his skin through the Starfleet turtleneck. Instantly his arm around her waist tightened.

"Kathy..." he hissed, not moving.

It was official. She was intoxicated, and now her every thought was focused on mercilessly torturing Q. Why? She wasn't sure, but she felt wicked and it felt good.

Both his arms were around her waist now, holding her tightly, as though he were afraid she'd try to escape. Facing forward, Kathryn reached down and placed her palms over the backs of his hands, threading her fingers through his and gently pulling his hands to either side of her hips. Behind her, she felt Q sigh in disappointment. He obviously thought she was going to try and get up again, and he was going to let her.

Kathryn smirked.

Instead she leaned back into him completely and began to playfully guide his hands over her body. Behind her, Q gasped as her hands moved his over her thighs, up over her hips and around her flat stomach. He sat in awe, allowing her to move him where she wished, and after a few moments teasing, she brought both hands up to cup her breasts.

Kathryn jumped as Q turned his head and put his lips next to her ear.

"You're being very naughty, Kathy," he whispered, taunting her.

"Moi?" she innocently whispered back, turning her face to his. She'd momentarily forgotten how much she liked the sound of his voice, especially now when it was all husky. Her heart was beating like a bird's, and she was sure he could feel it under his left hand. His eyes were burning into hers, and she felt matching heat between her legs.

They sat like that for a moment, frozen in time. Finally, Q lowered his mouth to hers with a soft kiss.

"You're drunk," he whispered. His hands were still on her breasts. She wished he'd do something besides hold them like a dumbfounded child.

"I feel good," she whispered back, trying to kiss him again. He turned his face away, and she caught his jaw instead. Frustrated, she reached up and pulled his face back to hers with both hands. She felt his hands drop from her chest and reposition themselves around her waist.

"Q..." she hissed, positioning her body so that her legs were up on the couch and her back against the armrest. Q grunted at the shift in weight, but didn't protest. Kathryn grabbed the collar of his uniform and pulled him down for another kiss, his upper body pressing into hers. Q responded well, one hand at her waist rubbing a crescent into her skin with his thumb, the other reached up to play with her hair. Kathryn wrapped both hands around his neck and shoulders, kissing him with abandon. She decided it was the best making-out she'd ever had. Q's tongue was doing wonderful things to hers, swirling round and round, retreating, and plunging back in to do it all over again.

He pulled away from her mouth to do magical things to the sensitive spot on her neck. Through her pleasure induced haze, Kathryn remembered him telling her that foreplay with a Q could last for decades, and now she believed it. It felt as though they could sit there forever teasing each other until they couldn't stand it anymore. She decided she could live with that.

One of Q's hands was still at her waist. Kathryn reached down and tried to slide it up over her chest, but the hand refused. She tried again with the same result, and this time the mouth on her neck paused.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, looking up into Q's face. Q hesitated.

"I won't take advantage of you like that," he said flatly.

"But you'll kiss me like this?" she hissed, suddenly angry. "What's the difference?"

"The difference is that you'd let me kiss you, even if you weren't inebriated," Q retorted, his voice taking on a bit of an edge. "I don't want you to...what is it? Hate yourself in the morning?"

"Oh!" Kathryn jumped up furiously, nearly tripping over the coffee table in the process. "Get out!"

"Now Kathy," said Q, rising gracefully and extending his hands pleadingly. "Don't be upset..."

"I don't know what I was thinking, letting you touch me! Get out!" She wasn't sure why she was so angry, she only knew that she was. Q looked at her seemingly shocked by this sudden outburst, but then he lowered his hands and stood up a little straighter.

"All right, my dear: I'll go. I'll see you tomorrow," he walked towards the door.

"Don't bother!" she snarled. "I wouldn't care if you never came back."

Q looked back at her, his expression pained. His eyes searched her face, and then roamed over her body, taking in her swollen lips and ravaged hair. A smirk appeared.

"You're appearance would suggest otherwise," he said, grinning wolfishly. Kathryn gasped, but before she had time to retort, he'd closed the space between them, and his mouth was on hers once again. This time, the kiss was harsh and demanding, a sharp contrast to the soft, languid ones they'd shared a few moments before. This time, he kissed her fiercely, with hard passion. It was a kiss designed to humble the recipient, and it worked: Kathryn was weak in the knees. He let her go just as she was beginning to respond, and took in the expression on her face with some satisfaction.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he repeated, whispering in her ear.

There was a flash and he was gone.

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Review if you liked it. :) Coffee


	6. Attraction

Yay! Another Chapter!

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Kathryn woke up the next morning with a terrible headache and mouth full of cotton. It certainly wasn't the worst hangover she'd ever had, but that made the feeling no more pleasant. At 0700 her alarm went off. It was 0735 before she finally managed to drag herself from the bed to the sonic shower, the sound of which wreaked havoc on her already tender nerves.

_I'm going to murder Q_, she thought, viciously running a brush through her hair and slapping on some lipstick. _**Murder** him! _There was no covering the dark circles under her eyes. She decided to leave them, knowing the crew would think she'd been up late reading, working, or doing the numerous other captainly things she'd always done in the past to warrant such signs of fatigue. No one would suspect that she'd spent the better part of the night getting drunk, seducing Q, and then tossing and turning for the rest of the evening in utter horror and humiliation.

She managed to bypass actual human interaction until she reported for duty by spending a small fortune in replicator rations on black coffee, thus avoiding the Mess Hall and all its occupants. She paused to flash Tuvok a small smile and a pat on the shoulder as she passed his station, and thankfully her chair wasn't covered in roses, chocolates, or any other frivolity from a certain omnipotent being.

Chakotay was in his chair looking annoyingly pleased with himself, and Kathryn briefly wondered if the kisses he and Seven shared were nearly as hot as the ones Q had given her the night before. Then, she had to hold a PADD to her face in mock concentration to hide the horror that crossed her features. Thankfully Chakotay didn't notice. He gave her a small gesture of greeting, and then returned to tapping on his own PADD.

She couldn't believe how she'd behaved towards Q the previous evening. Not only had she drunkenly thrown herself at him in a manner she'd never thought herself capable of, but adding insult to injury was Q's rejection of her sloppy attempt at seduction. Shameful memories of the feel of Q's hands on her body assaulted her mind, combining mercilessly with even more cringe-worthy memories of her hand trying to force Q's onto her chest. She could still feel the horrid sensation of his hand trying to pull itself away from hers.

_I don't want you to...what is it? Hate yourself in the morning?_ She heard his voice in her head and had to stop herself from covering her face in humiliation. She _did _hate herself. She'd lost control of the entire situation, and now Q _knew_ that she was attracted to him. He _knew_ how much she'd wanted him to touch her the night before, and as if that weren't enough, she'd shown him her weakness by ordering him to leave and then letting him kiss her into submission.

So there it was. She lusted for Q. She was at his mercy. Her previous protests against spending time with him were now obsolete. If he wanted to, with the right persuasion, he could ravish her whenever he wanted...she no longer had the will to resist.

Strange how that thought both terrified her and simultaneously aroused her.

_He's coming back tonight,_ she thought, shifting uneasily in her chair. _And he'll either be very kind, or incredibly cruel. And in the meantime, I'll pace around here like prisoner waiting for sentencing to find out which it will be. Damn. _

The Captain had just gotten back to her quarters and taken off her uniform jacket when the door chime sounded. Her heart leapt into her throat. _Here it goes,_ she thought, calling aloud, "Come!" She was prepared to play it cool, do whatever she had to do to maintain some semblance of her dignity.

Q stepped briskly inside and looked at her face searchingly. Kathryn thought she'd kept her expression sufficiently blank, but she was horrified to see a large, all-knowing smirk spread across Q's face.

"I knew it," he crowed. "I knew it! Oh _ma capitaine_! You conniving little minx!" He strode towards her with an eyebrow raised suggestively. She tried to back away, but he was too quick for her, snatching her about the waist and pulling her to him with unrelenting force. For a moment she didn't breathe as his eyes bored holes into hers.

"You want me," he murmured teasingly, reaching up to cup her face and run his fingers through her copper bob of hair. "Admit it!"

"No, I don't," she rasped. The arm around her waist tightened and pulled her even closer to him, if that were possible. She started to tremble unwillingly.

"Now now, Kathy, it's a little late in the game for these delusions, don't you think? Say it!"

"No," she hissed.

"Yes!" he cried.

"I won't do it," she snarled defiantly

"Well then," said Q, arching his eyebrow villainously and making her heart skip a beat. "I'll just have to persuade you, won't I?" His mouth was on hers before she could protest, kissing her passionately and expertly, leaving no part of her mouth unexplored. His arms were like bands of iron around her shoulders and lower back, pressing her flush with his body in the most compromising of ways.

"Say it," he whispered, and she felt the words brush against her cheek.

"No," she whimpered.

In the next moment, her back was against the wall, and his mouth was on her neck, his body crushing hers, setting it on fire. One hand pinned both of her wrists over her head, and the other slid up and down the right side of her body, pausing frequently at the top of its route to brush his thumb teasingly under the curve of her breast.

"Q..." she gasped.

"Say it!" he growled, and began to grind his pelvis up against hers slowly, enticingly. His teeth nibbled delicately at her jugular as his hand slid over her thigh down to cup the back of her knee. He lifted her leg up over his hip, taking the grinding motion of his pelvis into hers to a whole new level of intimacy. Kathryn moaned into his mouth, completely lost in the sensation. She'd been an idiot to think that she could deny this feeling and pretend like it didn't exist. She tried to free her hands, struggling against the vice grip Q had on her wrists.

"Ahh ah," Q taunted her, moving his mouth to the other side of her neck. "Say it!"

"Q," she muttered. "I want you."

"Hmmm? What was that?" he chuckled into her neck.

"I want you," she gasped, trying not to moan as he let go of her wrists and slid his hand down to cup her breast.

"Really?" his tone was playful as he brushed his thumb over her nipple.

"Really!" she growled, grabbing a handful of his hair and using it as leverage to press her mouth to his. Q kissed her back hard, letting the full weight of his body press her into the wall, and when she pulled back to take a breath, Q pressed his cheek to hers and hissed into her ear:

"Good."

There was a flash of light, and suddenly her arms were empty and the press of his body was gone. Kathryn nearly fell to the floor in the absence of his support and looked up in surprise. Q was leaning oh-so-casually against the wall next to her, just out of arm's reach.

"Are you ready to go on our date?" he asked in a chipper voice that held no trace of anything more than friendly inquisitiveness. "We have several things we need to discuss."

_What?_ Kathryn thought, slowly straightening, her desire ebbing away. _Is he serious? We practically just had sex against my wall!_ She pinned Q with a searching glance, taking in his expression and body language. He eyed her back mildly, his expression merely curious. _What a tease_! She frowned and straightened up, pulling herself together with cold efficiency and finally smiling at Q in a manner she reserved only for the most difficult of dignitaries.

"I'm ready when you are," she said in a courteous voice that only just hinted at the sarcasm beneath her words. Q smirked at her and offered his arm almost mockingly. Kathryn crossed the small distance between them and took the proffered limb, matching his insolence slight for slight. He snapped his fingers and they were gone.

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I 'm a big fan of reviews...


	7. The Plan

I'm so glad so many people like this story! Yay!

Enjoy! –Coffee

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They rematerialized inside of a tent in the middle of the dessert. It was a scene straight from "Arabian Nights." Kathryn looked around at the opulence with a small smile on her face. The walls of the tent were covered with colorful tapestries. In the center of the floor was sitting area comprised of satin pillows and a low table covered in food. The air was filled with the scent of jasmine and the cooling night air. The tent flaps covering the door were open just enough for Kathryn to peep at a midnight blue sky filled with stars. The tent inside was lit with large lamps in each corner. A number of candles also flickered on the table, making the tent feel warm and cozy.

"Please, sit down," Q said politely, taking a seat himself. Kathryn looked at him and realized his clothes were different. He was dressed in a long-sleeved tunic that almost reached his knees with loose fitting pants and a ridiculously large turban. Kathryn was about to smirk at his appearance when a soft breeze blew through the tent flap and made her realize that certain portions of her anatomy were uncovered. She looked down and was unpleasantly surprised to find herself wearing some sort of harem costume in deep blue with gold embroidery. Her breasts were encased in a tight bustier. Her entire torso was bare from the bust to her hips, and while her stomach was undeniably good looking as far as stomachs go, she didn't enjoy being so scantily dressed...especially given her present company.

"You have appalling taste in clothing," she sighed, settling herself down on a satin pillow.

"Oh Kathy, I love it when you tease me," Q quipped, taking her plate and heaping food onto it.

"Not to mention the fact that I won't be able to fit into this thing if I eat all that," she said, eying the huge plate he set in front of her dubiously.

"Is that a promise?" he asked her hopefully. Kathryn rolled her eyes in response. Q chuckled and started to fill his own plate. "Besides Kathy," he continued, finishing with his plate and pouring her a glass of red wine. "You could use a proper meal. Between the slop your pet Talaxian feeds you and all coffee you substitute for actual food..."

"...And all the sleep I don't get, and all the stress I'm under...you didn't happen to talk to Chakotay today did you?" Kathryn was feeling obstinate and wondered if mentioning Chakotay would get a rise out of Q.

Q scowled at her, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the mention of her second in command.

"I don't see why I would!" he scoffed, shoving a fork full of rice into his mouth and chewing viciously.

They ate in silence for a few moments, and Kathryn, having brought him up, couldn't help but wonder what Chakotay was doing at the moment. Was he eating dinner with Seven? Were they curled up on his couch together listening to Tchaikovsky—something she'd always fantasized doing with her First Officer—or worse, were they in bed together...

"You're thinking about him now, aren't you?" Q exclaimed, causing Kathryn to snap her head up in surprise. "Oh Kathy! That's not _fair_!" he whined. Kathryn rolled her eyes and took a sip of wine. "Did _he_ ever take you to dinner in a Sultan's tent in the middle of a moonlit dessert? I think not!"

"Well, he certainly never annoyed me as often as you do, Q," the Captain scoffed.

"Oh, rubbish!" smirked the omnipotent being, making a dismissive gesture. "You're just upset because you want me and you can't have me!"

"Ha! In your dreams, Q!" she said, her face turning red.

"Not quite, darling...although that thing you did last night was _certainly_ beyond any of my expectations ..." His tone was the perfect blend of mocking and sex. Despite her irritation and mild humiliation, Kathryn involuntarily clenched her thighs together. She shot Q a look of pure loathing, and he met her gaze with a chuckle.

"You should enjoy the memory," she growled, lowering her voice to a dangerous timbre. "It won't happen again. After this dinner, we're through."

"Oh Kathy, honestly! You're such a tease..."

"I'm not teasing, Q!"

He shook his head at her as though she were a silly child having a temper tantrum.

"You'll regret it, _ma capitaine_," he said, his voice still mocking her slightly. He reached over the corner of the table to cup her face with one hand. Kathryn tried to pull back, but he was too quick for her. His fingers curled gently, but firmly, around the nape of her neck as he ran the pad of his thumb along her jaw line. Kathryn closed her eyes and tried to ignore the tingling sensations running down her spine. "Come on now, my sweet Kathy, don't be cross with me, especially when I adore you the way I do." Kathryn opened her eyes and found Q's face only inches from hers. His eyes bored into hers, dark brown, and their expression inexpressibly human. Time froze for a second, and Kathryn found herself unable to blink...then Q quirked a suggestive eyebrow at her and let his eyes slide down to her chest.

The Captain rolled her eyes at him and pulled away from his touch. _What am I doing here?_ She wondered as she ate a little more food. She could feel Q's eyes on her. She felt a little ridiculous dressed as she was, miles away from her ship, subject to strange bursts of lust for Q...she felt completely disconnected from herself, and suddenly wished she were back on Voyager, in her uniform, commanding the bridge and being the Captain of a Starfleet vessel.

Then she remembered what Q had told her a few days before about being banned from the Continuum if he didn't prove his love for her. She wondered what he was going to do about that particular situation and felt a little bad. Obviously he did have some feelings for her, and although she did feel something for him, she was sure it wasn't love. She hoped that his situation would be resolved somehow, and wondered with some anxiety what he was going to do about it.

"Q," she said suddenly, looking up and placing her fork on the table. "You mentioned earlier that you were having problems in the Continuum..."

"The Continuum..." Q sighed dramatically. "They've been quite unreasonable about all of this..."

"You said you had a plan to placate them. Mind telling me what it is that you intend to do?"

"Of course, dearest! Didn't I tell you we had some things to discuss?" Q's sudden enthusiasm made Kathryn suddenly feel a little nervous. He reached over and clasped her hand in his. She didn't pull away, fearing he'd change the subject. "Actually, you gave me the idea during our _conversation_ in your Ready Room, Kathy. I went straight to the Continuum afterwards to discuss the matter, and they agreed that it was an excellent course of action!"

"Great," Kathryn barked through gritted teeth. "What is it?"

Q was now clasping her one hand with both of his in earnest excitement.

"Ooh! It's just so good!" he crowed. Kathryn was about to kill him when he continued. "You said you could only pursue a romantic relationship with someone who cared about the welfare of your crew as much as you do, but he couldn't be a member of your crew..."

"Yes Q, but that wasn't..."

"Which is exactly why," Q continued, ignoring her protesting interjection. "The Continuum has agreed to make me human and let me live aboard your ship for the duration of my ultimatum!"

"What?" Kathryn cried, pulling her hand away from him. "You can't be serious!"

"Well of course I'm serious," said Q glibly. "As overbearing as the Continuum can be, I'd rather not be excommunicated. I do have a son to raise after all..."

"Q!" Kathryn exploded. "This is unacceptable! I will not have you gallivanting all over Voyager, bothering my crew and chasing after me!"

"Oh come, come, dearest Kathy. I promise I'll be the perfect house guest! You won't even notice I'm there!"

"Unlikely, Q," Kathryn stood and walked over to the entrance of the tent. The air inside was suddenly too stuffy for her. She took a deep breath of the cool night air outside, and then turned to face her would-be lover. "It's out of the question. I won't allow it. Even if you were committed to behaving yourself impeccably, which I'm sure you are, it doesn't change the fact that you're unpredictable. Even your sincerest intentions somehow end in chaos, Q. If you're not dragging my crew and I into the Continuum's Civil War, you're allowing your son to run amok on my ship..."

"Oh," scowled Q, waving a hand dismissively. "So we've had a few bumps along the road, _ma capitaine_. A few little lovers' quarrels shouldn't frighten you away!"

"They almost _killed_ us!" Kathryn crossed the distance between them with quick furious steps, her eyes boring into his.

"_Almost!" _Q cried back in exasperation, a note of panic creeping into his voice. "Kathy, I love you! I'd never let anything like that happen to you again!"

"Oh no?" Kathryn murmured in that quiet tone that always meant danger. "Do you recall what happened to crew of the Enterprise when you were human aboard their ship?" A growing look of horror and surprise passed over Q's face. "Oh yes," she continued. "I read the reports. The Calamarian were so intent on getting to you that they jeopardized the entire ship, not to mention how they nearly prevented Starfleet from aiding the Bre'el!"

"Oh, it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" Q stammered. "You're forgetting how I selflessly saved them all, taking that shuttle craft and bravely going forth to meet my doom! Kathy..."

"No," Kathryn said, shaking her head and raising her hand to stop him. "I've made up my mind. Please take me back to Voyager."

Q was looking at her as though he intended to melt her with his gaze. Emotions were flying over his face almost too quickly for her to read. Anger, frustration, puzzlement, calculation...He stood there for a moment, starring at her, trying to figure her out. Suddenly, he smiled that seductive, teasing smirk that made her heart skip a beat.

"I know why you're angry with me," his voice was so certain, she wanted to believe him, but his smirk told Kathryn that he'd missed the point entirely. He reached up and slid the palm of his hand, blissfully cool, against her flushed cheek, and Kathryn gasped at the rush of lust that mercilessly flowed through her. Before she could manage to clamp it down, Q's mouth, wonderfully soft and gentle, was brushing against hers. _Dammit_, she thought, feeling her skin tighten almost painfully as goose bumps made their presence known all over her body. One of his hands had moved up to her head and proceeded to curl its fingers into her chignon. The other hand trailed feather-light fingers down the exposed curve of her back before pulling her to him.

Kathryn marveled silently at his proficiency for seduction. He made her more aroused than she could ever remember being. Every touch made her ache for release. His mouth left hers abruptly to trail kisses down her jaw line, to that special place on her neck that Mark had always paid special attention to because it drove her crazy. Q used his grip on her hair to move her head to one side and grant him better access, and Kathryn's legs felt rubbery. She shivered when his mouth left her neck and the cool air hit it. She felt, rather than heard, Q chuckle at her response. His chest rumbled.

"Forgive me," he whispered into her ear. "I made you tell me you wanted me, and I don't think I made it clear how much _I_ want _you_."

"Q," she rasped and he returned to nibbling on her neck. "This doesn't solve anything..."

"Imagine," he cut her off, pulling her limp form a little closer to him, his fingers gently brushing the tender spot of skin in the small of her back. "You've had a long, exhausting day on the bridge, but when you return to your quarters, there I am: your willing slave. I'll talk to you, tease you, and make you laugh. We'll eat dinner together every night, you'll never feel lonely."

He was painting a beautiful picture in her mind of him as her perfect lover. _Oh, _Kathryn thought. _It would be so wonderful to have someone..._

"I'll love you like you deserve to be loved, and I'll make you come harder than you've ever come in your life..." For a moment Kathryn was shocked at Q's vulgarity, wondering where he'd learned to say something like that, and at the same time it aroused her more than ever. Q was kissing her again. His arms were like steel bands around her waist, holding her to him. She felt his hand glide seamlessly down her back and over her behind, gently squeezing the mound of flesh he found there.

"I love you," he breathed into her ear. "I love you!"'

Somehow, the repetition of those sacred words clashed inside her psyche and gave Kathryn the strength to push the irresistible Q away from her. His expression was curious and a little hurt. She was breathing hard, but when she met his eyes, her gaze was devoid of all emotion.

"I'm sorry, Q," she said quietly. "Please take me back to Voyager."

The look on his face was terrible to see, there was so much hurt in it. Hurt, sadness, anger, a touch of fear, and then it was gone in the blink of an eye. She was standing in the middle of her quarters, alone, and there was no Q in sight.

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Don't worry, he'll be back...unless people don't review. - Coffee


	8. Q2

I'm so glad that people are enjoying this story! Please continue to send those wonderful reviews! Coffee

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Kathryn sat at her desk in her ready room tapping viciously on a PADD that had Tuvok's most recent security report on it. He head was pounding from too little sleep and too much coffee. She briefly considered going to sickbay for a hypospray, but dismissed the idea for maybe the fifth time that day. The Doctor had an unfortunate proclivity for lecturing her on her lifestyle choices, and it was exactly those kind of choices that had given her this headache.

She'd been awake for most of the night, tossing and turning, thinking of Q and wondering if she'd done the right thing by rejecting him. She couldn't get his last expression from her mind. She'd really hurt him this time. No creature could look that sad without truly meaning it, and knowing she'd caused another being so much pain made her feel sick inside.

_But I did the right thing! _She told herself over and over again. There was no way Q could live on Voyager and not drive her crazy. Not to mention the trouble he'd present to her crew.

She put down Tuvok's report and picked up another PADD from the corner of her desk. It was Captain Picard's report of the incidents aboard the Enterprise during Q's stay there as a human. She'd read it three times that morning to help her reaffirm her decision to keep Q as far away from Voyager as possible. Even if he didn't mean to, Q could be dangerous.

She put the PADD down and leaned back into her chair, stretching stiff muscles, trying to shake off her fatigue and swirling emotions. It was times like this when she wished Voyager had more to do than warp through space towards home; a new planet to study, a new culture to meet, anything to distract her.

She thought about calling Chakotay in and telling him the whole story. He'd always been so good at counseling her in the past, offering sound advice, or just _listening_ to her while she worked through her thoughts until they made sense. He hand was almost at her com badge when she realized that it wouldn't work to talk to Chakotay this time. This was a personal problem, not a Captain problem, and what was worse, this was a personal problem she was sure Chakotay wanted to hear nothing about...he'd made that more than clear.

A shuddery sigh escaped her chest, and Kathryn bit her lip to hold back the tears. It didn't work. Silently she put her face in her hands, rested her elbows on her desk, and let the tears just slide down her face. She was upset, overtired, and overwhelmed. She needed a good cry and a mental health day, but she'd settle for just the cry.

Ordering the computer to seal the doors, she replicated a box of tissues and sat down tiredly on her couch. Stars streaked across the window, and she watched them, wiping the tears as came into her eyes.

_I'm a mess_, she thought to herself. _Hell, everything's a mess. _

Eventually the tears stopped. The Captain blew her nose, wiped her eyes, and leaned back against the couch, exhausted.

There was a flash in the middle of the room. Kathryn looked up in hope, but received a shock.

"Hey, Aunt Kathy," said Q Jr., walking gracefully up to her and sitting down.

"Q," said Katherine, her tone pleased. She was surprised when the young Q reached over and gave her a warm hug, but she welcomed the embrace. "It's lovely to see you."

He'd changed quite a bit since the last time she'd seen him. He looked older, his slender frame filling the Starfleet uniform he wore in ways it previously hadn't. There was an air of confidence and ease about him that made Katherine smile with pride. The young Q she'd hosted on her ship was all grown up.

"It's good to see you too Aunt Kathy," his voice had gotten deeper as well. "It's been awhile."

"Well, what brings you here?" the Captain asked, wondering if she'd like the answer.

"Well," Q hesitated. "I'm here to talk about my father." He looked into her eyes, but she looked away.

"Q..." she began, her tone warning.

"Please Captain, I need you to hear me out. It's important," Q reached out and touched her upper arm, a physical gesture that asked her to remain seated. Katherine had to smile at the authoritatively polite tone of his voice and his demeanor. She knew diplomacy when she saw it. Q had been right; his son was undoubtedly a skilled negotiator.

"Did he send you here to talk to me?" she asked. Q shook his head quickly.

"No, Aunt Kathy, my father would be appalled if he knew I was here with you now. I came on my own."

Katherine sighed and relaxed her posture. Turning towards Q, she crossed her legs, and leaned against the back of the couch.

"Very well," she sighed, motioning with a hand for him to continue.

"Oh, where to start?" the young Q said, his voice a bit teasing. He mirrored the Captain's posture and sighed dramatically in a manner reminiscent of his father. "I'm worried about Q."

"You mean your father?" Katherine asked.

"Yes. You see, Aunt Kathy, he's gotten himself into some trouble with the Continuum Council. A few days ago, he informed them of his intent to pursue you romantically, and as I'm sure he told you, it did not go over well. Tea?"

A large tea set and a spread of delectable looking sandwiches and cookies appeared on a table in front of the couch. Katherine smiled and nodded. Together they helped themselves.

"Why's that?" she asked, sipping at her cup and taking a several sandwiches to nibble on. It was the first real food she'd had all day.

"Well, to put it simply, my Father has a history of stirring up trouble when it comes to humans, dropping his son off on one of their starships...that sort of thing," Q winked at Katherine, who smiled at him.

"Lucky us," she quipped, sipping her tea.

"Anyway," said Q in a much more casual tone. "They felt he was being insincere in his proclamations of affection for you. They told him to stay away from you and this ship."

"Yes, well, that worked well," Katherine sighed.

"It did at first," Q countered. "He stayed in the Continuum and continued to appeal to the Council, but they still didn't believe him..."

"Let me guess, when he first appeared here, it was against the Continuum's wishes?"

"Exactly," said Q. "He was frustrated. I tried to talk him out of it...no offense Aunt Kathy...but he came to see you anyway."

"I'm sure that went over well," Katherine chuckled. Q sighed.

"They were furious with him. After the Civil War, they've been keeping a close watch on my Father. They get nervous when he gets ambitious," Q seemed proud of this, if the grin on his face were any indication. Katherine rolled her eyes. "Anyway, they threatened him with banishment, but of course he didn't listen. He continued to visit you, until one day he came to the Council with a proposal. He asked that the Council make him human for a month so that he could live on Voyager and court you..."

"Of course, it never occurred to him to speak to me about any of this first," Katherine growled. Q sighed.

"Aunt Kathy, I know he's not always polite. Sometimes he doesn't think before he does things, but he means well, and he cares for you very much. He's changed. My father avoids the High Council like the plague. He never deals with them unless it's absolutely necessary, and yet he's been there almost every day asking if he can see you. My father, asking permission? Aunt Kathy, you must understand how unusual that is."

"I have some idea..." Katherine was listening intently.

"And now he's in trouble. They told him that he has one month to prove that he loves you, or he's banished from the Continuum for good. Banished! Captain, my father loves being a Q. He has more Q pride than any of us. He wouldn't risk loosing that power unless it was for something important. I've never seen him act this way."

"But what do you expect me to do, Q?" Katherine threw up her hands in exasperation. "I care for your father, and I'm sorry his feelings for me have put him in this terrible predicament..."

"Let him live on Voyager," Q interjected smoothly. "That's all you need to do."

"It's too dangerous!" Katherine replied.

"I give you my guarantee as a Q that nothing will happen to your ship or your crew. This won't be like it was on the Enterprise, Aunt Kathy. You'll have the Continuum's full protection. Don't you see? They don't really _want_ to banish Q, but they feel like they need to teach him a lesson."

"You mean they won't actually kick him out?"

"Oh," scoffed Q. "They'll certainly follow through with the punishment...but they will avoid it if they can help it. Like it or not, my Father is an important member of the Continuum. Banishing him could cause trouble, and as I'm sure you can understand, we've had enough trouble for the time being."

Katherine sighed and looked out the window at the stars flashing past. Could she really tolerate a human Q on her ship for a month? And even worse, what if she _enjoyed_ it?

"Captain, if he can spend a whole month as a human for the sole purpose of spending time in your company, the Continuum will let him off the hook. If worst comes to worst, you can lock him in the brig the whole time, just please let him have this opportunity. I can't imagine living in the Continuum without Q."

The Captain chewed quietly on her bottom lip in thought. She could either put up with a whole month of Q chasing her around, or she could let him sleep in the bed he'd made by denying him access to her ship and to her, eventually allowing him to be banished, leaving his son without a father, and leaving her with a guilty conscience...Well, she couldn't do that.

"Fine," she whispered to Q. "One month."

"You won't regret it," the younger Q was beaming at her.

"We'll see about that," Katherine snarled. He head was hurting again. Q noticed that she was rubbing her temples, and in seconds, her headache was gone.

"You need to take better care of yourself, Aunt Kathy," he said, patting her knee affectionately. He stood up and she followed. The tea setting disappeared, and the two of them looked at each other.

"You've grown so much," Katherine said with a small smile. "You've become a respectable young man. I'm proud of you." She was surprised to see Q blush.

"Thanks Aunt Kathy," he grinned. "I hope things work out between you and Q. I'm sure he'll show up here when he hears the news. Remember, he'll be human...try not to murder him." The Captain laughed. Q smiled and gave her another hug. "I'm sure I'll see you soon," he said, and disappeared in a flash of light.

Katherine sat down at her desk and picked up Tuvok's security report once more. If Q was going to be living on her ship, she figured she should get as much work done now as she possibly could.

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Next time on "The Q and the Janeway", the Captain deals with a human Q aboard her ship. But just because he's human doesn't mean Q doesn't have a few tricks up his sleeve...Stay tuned and review! Coffee


	9. In the Captain's Quarters

Apparently I forgot how to spell the Captain's name in that last chapter. Whoops.

QQQQQ

It was almost the end of her shift, and it was time for Kathryn to do something she'd been dreading all day. Taking a deep breath, she tapped her COM badge and summoned her First Officer to her Ready Room. When Chakotay entered, he found the Captain sitting calmly behind her desk, coffee in one hand, PADD in the other.

"You wanted to see me Captain?" he asked.

"Have a seat, Commander," she said, her gesture inviting, but her tone all business. Chakotay sat down gracefully for a man his size and eyed his captain warily. Kathryn clasped her hands and took a deep breath.

"A situation has arisen with the Continuum, and as a consequence, Q is required to spend a month as a human aboard Voyager," She stated matter-of-factly.

"What kind of situation?" Chakotay was quick to ask, looking incredulous.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it; suffice to say, I had little choice in the matter," Kathryn replied quicky.

"Captain! This insane! Q aboard this ship for a month? In human form?"

"I've had every assurance, Commander, that there won't be any trouble..."

"Assurances from who? Q?" Chakotay scoffed in disbelief. "I'm sure _that's _reliable. Have you forgotten what his son did to this ship in the course of a week? Kathryn..."

"I'd appreciate your cooperation in this matter, Chakotay. Whether you like it or not, Q is going to be a guest aboard this ship, and there's nothing that you or I can do about it, so we might as well make the best of it!"

The Captain was starting to get angry. She wanted to tell Chakotay the whole story, tell him that Q was in love with her and how much that scared her, how humiliated she was to be put in this position of justifying Q's presence to the crew, and how much she resented him, Chakotay, for leaving her without a confidant while he was off gallivanting with Seven...

But mostly she wanted Chakotay to respect the chain of command, shut up, get out, and do as she asked.

"Please inform the crew of this development and emphasize that they should go about their business as usual. Their interaction with Q will be minimal. Dismissed."

Chakotay was angry, she could tell. There was a tightness to his face that she hadn't seen often. He stood and stiffly walked towards the door, turning at the last minute to look at her

"It doesn't have to be this way," he said quietly. Kathryn didn't know what he was referring to, the disagreement they were having, or something else. Before she could figure it out, Chakotay turned and left.

Kathryn exhaled a sigh of frustration. A few moments later, her PADD beeped, and she looked over the message Chakotay had sent to the entire ship regarding Q's impending visit. It was brief but satisfactory. At least the Commander still knew how to do his job, and for that, Kathryn was grateful. For now, she had bigger things to worry about.

QQQQQ

It was 2100 hours before there was a familiar knock on the door of her quarters. Kathryn had almost started to believe that Q was never going to arrive. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. Something inside her was humming with excitement, but she buried it deeply under a solid layer of dutiful professionalism.

"Come!" she barked, not bothering to move from her chair. The doors whooshed open, and Kathryn found herself face to face with a very contrite-looking, very human Q. He was dressed in black slacks and a deep blue shirt that hugged his torso in manner that was entirely too appealing.

"Good evening, dearest," Q was the figure of humility, but there was a lascivious edge to his voice that made Kathryn smirk.

"Your son came to see me today," she said, closing her book and placing it on the coffee table. "He had some interesting insights to share."

Q's expression turned into a scowl.

"Wretched boy," he hissed, "I never should have mated with his mother."

Kathryn chuckled and stood up, stretching her stiff muscles.

"I've had living quarters prepared for you on deck ten..."

He came up behind her and placed warm large hands on each shoulder.

"_Single_ living quarters?"

"Yes."

His hands slid down her back, applying gentle pressure to the space between her shoulder blades. Kathryn gasped.

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer me here in _your_ quarters?"

His arms encircled her waist and pulled her back against him, and Kathryn's senses were overwhelmed at the difference between a truly human Q and a Q in human form. His body was warmer. She inhaled and the scent of his skin was in her nose. He smelled faintly of cologne and soap, but underneath all that she could smell _him_. It aroused her terribly, and she leaned back against him as he nuzzled that special spot on her neck. Kathryn had to bite her lip to prevent an embarrassing whimper from escaping her throat.

She had thought, stupidly, that a human Q would be easier to control than his omnipotent counterpart. If anything, the effect he had on her was _worse_ than before. Her legs felt like rubber and she realized that Q was supporting most of her body weight, holding her gently but firmly around her waist.

She turned in his arms and planted a full kiss on his mouth, feeling gratified when it took him a moment to respond. She'd surprised him with her kiss, and the realization gave her a thrilling rush of power. It was then that she noticed how responsive Q was to her touch. Curious, she decided to experiment, moving away from his mouth and kissing the side of his neck...Q actually shivered at the touch. Intrigued, the Captain worked one hand up the side of his face and ran it ever so lightly through his hair, causing Q to emit a whimper much like the one she'd managed to suppress earlier. Kathryn wondered idly to herself, as she ran her fingernails up and down Q's back while she continued to gently suckle the sensitive place on his neck, if being human somehow heightened the sensation for him. She's have to ask later when she wasn't shamelessly driving him crazy.

"Kathryn," he sighed as she continued to tease him.

"You like this, don't you?" she growled suggestively, running her hands down his back to squeeze his buttocks almost painfully.

"Oh, yes!" he cried, his back arching involuntarily in response. He looked back down at her, his eyes burning with lust and admiration. "Kathryn..." She cut him off.

"And I'm sure you're feeling very sorry for trying to manipulate me into letting you stay here, right?" She ran her hands up the front of Q's chest and found his nipples with her fingertips.

"Oh Kathryn..." Q half growled, half sobbed.

"Right?" she hissed, pinching firmly with her thumbs and forefingers. Q made an interminable noise of pleasure and nodded mutely

"I didn't hear that," Kathryn hissed, silently rolling Q's flesh back and forth between her fingertips.

"Oh yes...Kathy...sweet..._please_..."

She was slowly forcing him back towards the door, and he wasn't aware of it in the slightest; he was too focused on the fantastic sensations racing through his newly human body. She pinned him against the door with all her strength and ravaged his mouth with her own. Q responded eagerly, but for once she was able to stay in control, dominating him mercilessly. The look on his face when she finally pulled away was priceless.

"Kathryn," he growled, his eyes glowing. "I love you."

She smiled mischievously.

"Your quarters are on deck 10, section 3," she whispered, pressing a button on the control panel. The doors _whooshed_ open, and without their support, Q staggered backwards into the hall, his face a study in surprise.

"Goodnight," she smirked, and the doors _whooshed_ shut.

QQQQQ

Review please! Thank you. Coffee


	10. A Bit of Revenge

**WARNING! This chapter contains ADULT CONTENT. It is rated M. **Coffee

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Kathryn decided that the best way to prevent herself from following Q to his quarters was to go to sleep as soon as possible, otherwise the temptation would be too great. His enthusiasm for her touch had the Captain all hot and bothered as she replayed the evenings events over and over again in her head. His obvious desire for her made Kathryn smile; he'd looked at her as though she were a goddess.

_He'll come after me tomorrow_, she thought drowsily. _Ready to start courting me in earnest. _Somehow that fact didn't bother her much at all, and she fell asleep.

At 6am the next morning, the door chirruped. From her bedroom, Kathryn groaned as she tried to awaken from her deep sleep wondering who would be cruel enough to awaken her 3 hours before her shift began.

"Come in!" she rasped, dragging herself from the bed and sleepily trying to pull on her robe. Seconds later, Q was standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, _ma capitaine!_ Did you sleep well?" Kathryn glared at him. He was freshly showered in a deep purple shirt and black slacks. His expression was unbelievably perky.

"Q! It's 6am," Kathryn yawned. "It's too early. Go away." she sat back down on the edge of her bed and held her head in her hands, trying to wake up.

"Nonsense!" Q cried, coming around the bed to sit next to her. She glared up at him through a crack between her fingers. He gave her a cheerful smile and bounced on the mattress playfully.

"Q, I don't have to be on the bridge until 0900," she growled.

"Oh Kathy, you're adorable when you're cranky," Q teased. "Poor, sleepy Captain. Come here, darling." He hugged her to his chest, wrapping both arms around her tightly. Kathryn sighed and relaxed into the embrace. He smelled delicious. She could hear Q's heart beating steadily beneath his firm pectorals, and within seconds she was drifting off to sleep again. Q seemed to realize this. She heard him emit a small sigh of exasperation.

"I've never had someone fall asleep on me before," he murmured into her hair. "I'd don't know if I should be enchanted or insulted."

"Shhh," Kathryn hissed automatically. With her ear against his chest, any speech on his behalf was too loud. Q chuckled and pulled her effortlessly into his lap, then he lay down on the bed, taking her with him. With one arm around her waist, and one arm around her shoulders, Q pulled Kathryn into a spooning position, her back against his chest. Janeway groaned at the sudden shift of movement, and thought it might be wise to remove herself from such an intimate position, but she was too sleepy, and Q's warm body pressed along the back of hers was too delicious to pass up. She snuggled against him and yawned again.

"Comfortable?" Q quipped, his tone amused. She managed to emit a somewhat affirmative-sounding noise, and a few minutes later, she was asleep again.

She woke up again an hour later, surprised to find herself still in Q's embrace, but not displeased by the turn of events.

"Good morning again," Q whispered in her ear. She sighed softly and snuggled back against him in response. Q began to run a slow hand up and down the side of her body. It traveled over her shoulder, down her ribcage, past the dip of her waist, over her hip, and back up. Kathryn lay there , eyes closed sleepily, quietly enjoying the contact. The hand reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and trace the curved of her jawline. His fingers trailed down her neck and over her collarbone, back to her shoulder and down her arm, pausing to trace a small design on the back of her hand. Kathryn smiled and emitted a soft sigh. This seemed to encourage Q, who became more bold with his explorations. His hand passed over her stomach and undid the badly tied knot in the belt of her robe. Slipping nimble fingers inside, Q explored the neckline of the Captain's satin pajama top, tracing it with his fingertips.

"What time is it?" she whispered.

"0700 hours," he whispered back.

His head nuzzled its way to her neck, and he deposited several playful kisses down its length. Kathryn moaned softly as Q fixed his lips as the base of her neck and began teasing the sensitive area with the tip of his tongue.

_Mmmm..._thought the Captain calmly. _What a nice way to wake up..._

Q gently rolled the Captain into her back, making her smile with eyes still closed, and placed a slow, gentle kiss on her mouth. Kathryn kissed him back, drowsily enjoying the sensation. As they kissed, Q's hand moved over her stomach and up over her breast, pausing to gently rub his thumb over her nipple. Kathryn moaned quietly into Q's mouth. Without any urgency, Q cupped her breast and continued to rub his thumb back and forth over it. Kathryn sighed blissfully and turned her head to nuzzle his shoulder, slowly becoming aware of her growing arousal.

Q shifted his position, rolling part of his upper body onto Kathryn and kissing her from above. He wrapped his arms around her, and she did the same to him, holding his upper torso close. They kissed for several minutes, each gently exploring the other's mouth. Kathryn was no longer asleep, but her mind was quiet. She felt lazy, relaxed, and sexy. Q kissed her again and she threaded her fingers gently through his hair, playing with his curls. He moaned in approval, and his hand moved back down over her breast and lay on her stomach.

His thumb caressed the strip of exposed skin between her pajama top and the elastic waist of her pajama bottoms. Kathryn whimpered at the sensation of skin on skin. Q murmured something unintelligible into her neck and began to kiss her favorite spot there gently. She reached up with both hands and held his head there, silently asking him to continue what he was doing.

Suddenly, Q's hand slipped underneath the elastic waistband of her pajama bottoms, and slid down quickly until his fingertips brushed her liquid heat.

"Q!" she cried, and tried to sit up, but the weight of his upper body on hers was too much. "What are you...oh!" He had found her clitoris and was gently rubbing it in a circular motion. Sensation washed over Kathryn and she gasped.

"Shh..." Q whispered, continuing to nuzzle her neck. "Relax."

Kathryn groaned as he applied a bit more pressure with his fingertips. What he was doing felt so shamefully good, she didn't think she could stop him if she wanted to. No one had touched her like this for the longest time...

She lay back down on the bed, her hands still entwined in Q's hair. He dropped light kisses across her collarbone, his fingers working magic circles against her. Kathryn was amazed, he seemed to know exactly how to touch her. Gently, rhythmically, his fingertips moved over her slick skin. She was aware that she was breathing hard, her eyes shut tight. He added just a little bit more pressure, and she cried out.

His mouth went back to her neck, his pointed tongue moving back and forth across her skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her fingers between his shoulder blades. Q groaned pleasurably against her neck and Kathryn arched her back as his fingers began to move faster against her clitoris. She could feel her orgasm building. She moaned and buried her face in Q's neck at the growing sensation. Her hips began to move automatically in time against his fingers. Her breath was coming in short panting whimpers. Her fingers dug into his back, clenching and unclenching.

"Q," she whispered. "Mmmm, Q!"

She was almost there. A few more slick circles and she would come all over his hand. Her body tensed in preparation...

...and suddenly it all stopped! Kathryn cried out in frustration as Q pulled away from her and stood up, an evil grin on his face.

"What are you doing?" she gasped unable to grasp what was happening.

"A little payback, my dear," Q smirked from the doorway. He turned and called over his shoulder, "I'll see you later tonight."

QQQQQQQQQQQQ


	11. The First Day

Kathryn was angry with herself for most of the morning. She was angry when she got into the sonic shower, she was angry when she got out of the sonic shower. She was angry as she pulled on a fresh uniform, she was angry when she got her first cup of coffee from Neelix, and like any person who was good and angry, Kathryn inadvertently took her anger out on people around her.

Quarterly crew evaluations from the Senior Staff were due on her desk by 1200 hours, and while Kathryn was exempt from the dreary job of writing said reports, it was her job as the Captain to look over and approve the recommendations made by the Senior Officers regarding each crewmember.

Tom Paris had his report to her by 09:00, which impressed the Captain until she discovered at 09:15 that it was incomplete. She summoned him to her Ready Room at 09:16.

"Mister Paris," she practically growled from behind her desk, slapping the back of PADD containing the unfinished report meaningfully into her left hand over and over again. "Care to explain to me to me why your crew evaluations are incomplete?"

"I'm sorry Captain, I'm afraid I got a bit side-tracked with some work the Doc had me doing in Sickbay…I'll have it to you tomorrow by 0800."

"Unacceptable," she snapped. "You'll have it to me _tonight_ by 0800, is that clear? Dismissed."

"But Captain, I…"

"Dismissed!"

Tom closed his mouth and left her Ready Room in a huff. Kathryn rolled her eyes testily and tossed the PADD onto the top of her desk, where it landed with a clattering sound.

Left to her own devices, Kathryn started to mentally curse Q.

_Stupid, stupid! _She hissed to herself. _Why on Earth did you let him touch you like that?_ Kathryn had never been that intimate with a man she didn't love. She felt used and uncomfortable in her own skin. At the same time, images and memories of sensations from that morning slid in and out of her mind at random, and they left her feeling aroused and wanting, which only made her angrier with herself and Q._ Stupid Q! Stupid Continuum! Stupid Man-Q sneaking into my quarters! Stupid me for LETTING him._

Her door chirruped.

"Come!" she barked, not bothering hide the irritation in her voice. Chakotay entered with a slight look of apprehension on his face.

"Good morning," he said with a touch of irony.

"That remains to be seen," she muttered, punching the pads on her computer station with unnecessary ferocity. "What do you need, Commander?"

"Just here to deliver my Quarterly Evaluations and ask if you have any updates on our omnipotent guest."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at the mention of Q.

"He arrived last night. I sent him to his quarters and haven't seen or heard from him since," she fibbed, wishing desperately that it were the truth.

"Do you think it's wise to let him wander the ship unguarded?" Chakotay's tone implied that he didn't think it was.

"I've been assured that he'll be on his best behavior…and if not, there's always the brig," Kathryn smiled viciously at the thought of locking a human Q up in the brig and forgetting he was there for the next 3 weeks. She looked up at Chakotay and saw that he was smirking as well. A knowing glance passed between them and suddenly Kathryn felt friendlier towards him than she had in days.

"So," she said, breaking eye contact briefly to pick up Chakotay's report and give it a quick look. "Anything in here I should pay special attention to?"

"Not really," Chakotay replied, moving to sit on the edge of her desk. He hadn't done that in awhile, and Kathryn smiled at him over the top of the PADD as she scrolled through it.

"I agree. Approved," she added her authorization code to the report and handed it back to him.

"And to think," Chakotay quipped. "I spent all that time writing this because I thought you were going to read it."

"Nope," she grinned. In the old days, signing off on Chakotay's work had always been just a formality. It felt good to display that kind of trust in her first officer again.

"Tom Paris warned me not to come in here just a few seconds ago. Something about you being completely unreasonable this morning?"

Kathryn scowled.

"Put him in the brig too," she said.

"Aye-aye, Captain," Chakotay chuckled. He turned and walked to the door, turning back to flash her a good-humored grin as he left.

After that, reports came flying in at her from all sides, and the Captain was ever so grateful for a working distraction from her personal thoughts. At 1400 hours her stomach growled, and Kathryn put down Ensign Kim's report, realizing she'd been running on nothing but coffee for the entire day. Thoughts of a lunch that contained actual food crossed her mind, but then her door chirruped.

"Come!" she called, standing and stacking PADDs into neat piles on her desktop as the door _whooshed_ open.

"Hard at work, _ma capitaine?_"

Kathryn jumped and knocked over a stack of PADDs. She swore and bent down to pick them up. When she reappeared, PADDs filing her arms, she found Q sitting at on the edge of her desk, and a large, silver serving tray, complete with a dome cover, sitting in the middle of it.

"Get out!" she snarled, pushing the tray to the side and trying to restack her PADDs. Q merely smirked at her.

"Rough day?"

"Get out," she hissed again. "And take whatever that is with you," she nodded towards the serving tray.

"My, my, somebody's grumpy," Q said in a singsong voice, making a clucking sound with his tongue.

"I'm not kidding, Q!"

"I didn't say you were, dearest."

"Go away!"

"Oh, you're so angry with me!" he crowed, moving around the desk and trying to catch hold of her. Kathryn ducked out of his embrace just in time and scooted away. "Don't hold a grudge, sweetheart! Let's kiss and make up!" Q cried, trying to catch her again and obviously enjoying himself in the process. Kathryn ducked out of the way once more, making sure to keep the desk between her and Q.

"Janeway to security!" she managed to squeak. Q raised an amused eyebrow at her. There was no response.

"COM system malfunction, oh dear!" Q cried with mock seriousness. "Don't worry Kathy, I'm sure it's just a minor glitch…"

"I'll bet you are!" she snapped back. "What did you do, Q?"

"_Moi_?"

"Yes you!"

"Nothing," he was grinning.

"Define 'nothing'!" she hissed.

"Kathy! Are you implying that I did _something_?"

"Ugh! This is pointless!" Kathryn growled. She pushed past Q and charged through the door onto the bridge. Chakotay and the other bridge officers looked startled at her sudden appearance.

"Kathryn, is something wro…" Chakotay looked past her to the door of her Ready Room suspiciously.

"The COM system is down. Do we know why?" she interrupted him, making a beeline for her Captain's Chair and tapping at the display. She glanced behind her briefly and was surprised to see that Q hadn't followed her.

"Captain, Lieutenant Torres is currently running a routine level 3 diagnostic on all COM system functions. She is scheduled to finish at 1300 hours. Until that time, the COM system will be inoperable," Tuvok said in his usual unperturbed manner.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" Kathryn said, looking at Chakotay accusingly. Her First Officer winced slightly.

"It was in the report I gave you this morning, Captain…"

_Aw hell,_ thought Janeway.

"I must have overlooked it," she said, a touch of irony in her tone. "My apologies. You have the bridge, Commander." Kathryn rose and returned to her Ready Room as quickly as possible, leaving the bridge crew to sit and ponder their Captain's bizarre behavior.

Q was standing up by the windows when she returned. He turned to smirk at her knowingly.

"Told you!" he gloated.

"I despise you," she growled, stalking back to her desk.

"I despise you too," he smiled teasingly.

"What do you want?" she muttered, sitting back behind her desk, too tired to argue any more.

Q moved towards the desk and pulled the domed cover to the serving tray off with a flourish, and the heavenly scent of something delicious filled the air.

"I thought you might be hungry."

"What is that?" she frowned, looking at the tray.

"I made you lunch, Kathy: Chicken Cordon Bleu with steamed asparagus…or at least the closest thing I could find to asparagus in your Talaxian's kitchen. The chicken for that matter is not actually chicken either…but I'm sure it will taste lovely all the same…"

On the silver tray was a place setting covered with delicious looking food, along with a glass of wine. How Q had managed to carry the tray without spilling the wine was beyond her…and how had he cooked all this?

"Q…"

"Now, now," he cut her off. "All work and no food makes for a cranky Captain! And as I'm sure you're aware, a cranky Captain has a quite a negative impact on the morale of her crew…"

"Q…" she tried again, but he continued,

"See Kathy? Now that I'm a human aboard this ship, I too am invested in its well-being and safety…" he said this with a great deal of arrogant enthusiasm as he pulled a cloth napkin from the tray.

"I see," she muttered as he crossed around the desk to place the napkin gently into her lap. Kathryn looked up into his face and was surprised by the tender expression she saw there.

"Enjoy," he whispered in her ear, and dropped the briefest and lightest of kisses on her cheekbone. Kathryn couldn't help herself, and a shiver passed through her. Q gave her a knowing smile as he backed away. Kathryn rolled her eyes and adjusted the napkin in her lap.

"Thank you, Q," she said stiffly. He nodded at her and exited graciously without another word.


	12. The First Day, Part 2

Another chapter, Yeah! Hope you like it!

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She ate the lunch against her better judgment because she was so hungry, and because it was so conveniently located right there at her desk…and it smelled fantastic. It tasted even better than it smelled, and somehow Q had replicated the perfect glass of wine to go with it. She even drank the wine….while she was on duty.

_I must be loosing my mind_, she thought incredulously, finishing the wine anyway.

She was almost done reading crew evaluations at 1600 hours when her COM badge beeped.

"Neelix to Captain Janeway,"

"Go ahead Neelix,"

"Captain, someone has broken into the food pantry and used the cooking area without permission."

Kathryn winced.

"What was taken?" she asked, even though she was sure she already knew the answer.

"Well Captain, there's a fillet of meat missing, several vegetables…" Neelix replied. Kathryn growled slightly in frustration.

"I'm sorry Neelix, I'm afraid Q is your culprit. He made a surprise lunch for me this afternoon. I will speak to him," Kathryn's tone implied that she would do much more than "speak" to Q.

"Thank you, Captain…" Neelix seemed to hesitate.

"Was there something else, Mr. Neelix?" she asked.

"Well, Captain, will you need anything else for the afternoon? Coffee? Perhaps I could bring you some dinner?" Neelix placed a seemingly unintentional emphasis on the word dinner, and Kathryn smiled. Neelix always got jealous when anyone else catered to her needs.

"Thank you Neelix, some coffee would be lovely."

"I'll be right there, Captain," The Talaxian said cheerfully, and she heard the COM line close.

Kathryn sighed and leaned back in her chair, pinching the skin between her eyebrows. Q had only been aboard her ship for one day, and already she was ready to kill him. _Three weeks of this?_ She thought. _I don't know if I can stand three more **days**_

At the end of her shift, Kathryn was more than ready to stop working. She strolled out onto the bridge, and noted with some amusement that Tom Paris was multitasking, both piloting and trying to finish his portion of crew evaluations.

"Mister Paris," she said, walking up to the helm and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know Captain, I'm just finishing it now…" from the tone of his voice, Kathryn could tell that he was nowhere near finished. She chuckled to herself and shook her head.

"Tom, I'll give you until tomorrow afternoon to finish that report, but I want a favor in return…"

"Name it," Tom said, almost cutting her off and setting his PADD down immediately.

The Captain grinned almost evilly and motioned for the bewildered Lieutenant to follow her back to her Ready Room.

-----------------------

Kathryn should have known she could count on Tom Paris to come up with pranks rival to the pranks of any Q…although it did help that the Q in question was currently human. With more enthusiasm than she'd ever seen him show for the majority of his duties, Tom somehow managed to tie the transporters into the sensors to form an interior proximity alarm; it was a brilliant algorithm that ordered the computer to perform a site-to-site transport on Q whenever he came within 10 feet of her. One minute, he would be looking at her from across the bridge, and the next minute he'd be transported to whatever habitable portion of the ship was farthest away from her at the time.

Kathryn couldn't stop herself from chuckling as Tom put the final commands into the computer.

----------------------

She went to the Mess Hall for dinner, partially because she felt she'd be safe from Q there, and partially because she was hoping to avoid another lonely night in her quarters. She wasn't disappointed; it seemed like everyone was in the Mess Hall with the same idea. The result was a rather impromptu social event. Kathryn eventually found herself seated between Neelix and Tom, drinking a glass of wine and trading war stories. Everyone was laughing and having a good time, and Kathryn sighed happily; she wished there could be more times like this, more times when they were a family instead of Starfleet officers.

She heard the doors of the Mess Hall _whoosh_ open and turned to see who it was. Her stomach dropped when she saw it was Q.

"What's this? A party?" he cried, walking towards them. The Captain and Tom exchanged a swift, secret glance. "How lovely! May I join you?" He was almost upon them, when suddenly Kathryn heard the whine of the transporter. Q began to dematerialize. The look on his face was priceless as he disappeared, and as soon as he was gone, Kathryn couldn't help but chuckle. Tom had a huge grin on his face, and the rest of the crew was staring at the two of them with enigmatic expressions. Tom looked to Kathryn for approval before letting them in on the joke. He told them about the algorithm he'd written, and exactly what it did.

"Good one, Tom!" Harry grinned, nodding in approval.

"Serves him right!" Neelix cried, laughing.

Kathryn was smiling as well, but she felt a small stab of guilt inside. She knew how desperate she'd been for companionship this evening. She wondered if Q, recently human and without friends on this ship, was feeling the same way. As much as he annoyed her, Kathryn wouldn't wish loneliness on anyone.

The banter continued between the crew, but Kathryn found herself looking at the door, wondering if Q would try to return, and wondering if she was willing to watch him be transported away again. Suddenly, the prank didn't seem so funny anymore.

Moments later, the door _whooshed _open again, and Q reappeared, looking a little testy. Everyone turned to look at him, and Kathryn was a little repulsed by the expressions of anticipation she saw in their faces.

"It appears the transporters are malfunctioning," Q said, making his way towards them once more. He looked directly at Kathryn, and she felt gooseflesh rise on her skin. "Kathy, might I have a wor…"

The transporters hummed once more, and Q began to dematerialize again. The look on his face was one of pure frustration as he disappeared. Kathryn felt a stab of pity, made even worse by the fact that several people around her began to laugh. After the mirth had died down, and people resumed their conversations, Kathryn regretfully excused herself, thanking them all for their company, and went to find Q.

"Computer, locate Q," she said, trotting briskly down the hallway.

The computer gave her the coordinates and Kathryn was on her way.

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Leave a review! I like them… -Coffee


	13. The First Day, Part 3

Author's note: I've never had so many people send me such desperate pleas for more chapters to a story. It's flattering. Thank you.

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It wasn't until she'd hiked halfway across the ship that Kathryn realized she'd forgotten to deactivate Tom's prank transporter program. She quickly rectified her error, calling out instructions to the computer as she strode briskly towards Cargo Bay Four.

She was feeling guilty, and she hated it. It was a bad idea to ask Tom to pull this prank on Q. By doing so, she'd disgraced herself as a Starfleet officer and mistreated a guest on her ship. She'd set a bad example, and as a result, Q was going to have even more difficulty fitting in on Voyager.

The doors to Cargo Bay Four loomed before her all too soon. Kathryn took a deep breath and stepped onto the threshold. The doors _wooshed_ open, and she found Q standing before her.

"Is it safe?" he asked, exasperation evident in his tone. "I detest being transported; it's a most unsettling experience."

"It's safe, Q," Kathryn said, motioning for him to exit the cargo bay.

"Splendid," Q smirked. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the cargo bay doors into his arms. "Hello, love."

Kathryn thought about struggling to break the embrace, but her guilty conscience forced to accept the hug without complaint. It wasn't too difficult; Q was cuddling her to his chest as though she were the most precious thing in the world, and the feeling made Kathryn smile stupidly into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him in response, unconsciously pulling him closer. Q chuckled and learned down to whisper in her ear.

"Rough day?"

"As if you had nothing to do with it," Kathryn snorted into his collarbone.

"Still angry with me?"

Guilt stabbed at Kathryn's heart once more. She didn't have the right to be angry with anyone.

"No," she said, silently wondering how she was going to explain.

"Good," Q replied, a touch of surprise in his tone. She could feel him staring at the top of her head curiously. "I do love it when you let me hold you like this, darling," he said after a moment of silence.

_So do I_, Kathryn thought, surprising herself. Growing uncomfortable, she pulled away. Q sighed in mild annoyance and let her go.

"You can't run from me forever, sweetheart," he smirked lightly.

"I can't run from you at all," Kathryn snorted in response. "You're everywhere I go."

"Oh, you love it," Q teased, reaching for her again. Kathryn was quick to dart beyond his reach. Q looked at her in irritation and pursed his lips. "I should be very angry with you, you know," he said, almost conversationally. "That was a nasty trick you and Tom Paris pulled on me just now."

Kathryn flushed in shame.

"How did you know?"

"After the second time it happened, I interfaced with the computer," he pointed to the work console on the other side of the cargo bay. "It didn't take me long to find the algorithm keyed to my life signs. Both of your authorization codes were on it." His tone was slightly accusatory.

"I'm sorry, Q," she said. "It was meant to be a harmless prank. I didn't realize it would be so…"

"Humiliating? Cruel?" Q supplied, his gaze burning holes into her. "What could have spurred you to do such a thing?"

"I was just…irritated with you."

"Oh? What for?"

Kathryn blushed, suddenly remembering how the whole crazy day had started. Her body contracted pleasantly at the memory of Q's touch on her.

"Nothing, nevermind…" she muttered, taking a deep breath. "Can we please forget the whole thing ever happened?"

"Certain members of the crew are going to have a more difficult time with that than others," he murmured in response.

"I know, I'm sorry. From now on I'll make it my policy to treat you as I would treat any other guest aboard a Starfleet vessel...especially in front of the crew."

"Well, that would be lovely," he said, taking a step closer. "But unless you routinely engage in intimate relations with guests aboard your ship, that arrangement isn't going to entirely work for me."

"Q…" Kathryn said warningly, while at the same time trying not to smile.

"Shhh…" he reached out and pulled her into his arms again, and pressed his lips to hers before she could protest. For the first time, Kathryn didn't resist his advances, and after a second, she started to kiss him back. Q sighed blissfully and slanted his mouth possessively over hers. She slid her hands up over his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. His fingers were tangled in her hair, effectively destroying her up-do, but Kathryn didn't care. Instinct had taken over, and she recklessly pressed herself against Q with careless abandon. His lips moved from her mouth to the smooth column of her throat, to the special spot in the curve of her neck that drove her crazy. "Mmm…sweet captain," he whispered. "Perhaps we should return to your quarters?"

Kathryn pulled away and looked up into his questioning face.

"All right," she said.

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WARNING – the next chapter will be rated "M."


	14. The First Day, Part 4

WARNING! This chapter is full of SMUT and GRATUITOUS SEX, and therefore rated "M."

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Kathryn had expected Q to start ripping her clothes off the second they were transported into her living room, but she was sadly mistaken. The moment they materialized, Q suddenly looked a bit funny.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, pulling away slightly to study his expression.

"Not at all," he smiled down at her tenderly, but there was a tightness around his eyes that told her he was lying. He leaned down and kissed her again, and his lips trembled against hers.

"You're not nervous, are you?" she asked when the kiss ended.

"Moi?" Q scoffed. "I'm hardly a blushing virgin." Kathryn raised an eyebrow. Q matched her dubious look with an over the top leer. Kathryn shook her head, not willing to fall for his attempt at subterfuge. "Oh fine," he huffed, all pretense falling away. "If you must know, this is the first time I've ever done this as an actual human, not just in human form."

"What's the difference?" she asked, pulling him toward the sofa and sitting down.

"My powers," Q said sourly. He looked up at her, and Kathryn was suddenly aware that she'd unintentionally assumed her "diplomatic counseling" pose, ankles crossed and hands folded neatly into her lap. Q smirked at her, reached over and pulled her to him. "Always the Captain," he chuckled in her ear. She snuggled into his chest and inhaled, welcoming the little shocks and thrills that went through her as Q hugged her to him.

"You know," she murmured, looking up into his face. "Humans are perfectly capable of having great sex without the aid of Q abilities."

"You only say that because you've never had sex with a Q," Q huffed. "This human body only taps into a fragment of my potential as a mate or lover," he sighed dramatically. Kathryn smiled to herself. His frustration was oddly endearing.

"Well, I'm not complaining," she shrugged and grinned at him.

"Well, that's a first," he countered, returning her smile with a disarming one of his own. She scowled. Q smirked, and suddenly pressed his mouth to hers hungrily. Kathryn suddenly felt warm and kissed him back. Q wrapped his arms around her waist and skillfully pulled her into his lap. Kathryn found herself straddling Q's thighs and looking into his brown eyes. He gave her a naughty smile.

He reached for her, running his warm hands up and down her arms, over her shoulders and down the front of her chest. Kathryn gasped, but Q didn't stop. He slid his hands over either side of her waist, his hands nearly spanning its circumference, his thumbs moving over her abdominal muscles as if he were massaging them. Taking her cue from him, Kathryn ran her hands up the length of his arms, stopping at his biceps to gently squeeze and feel the strength of his muscles through the soft fabric of his shirt.

Q leaned in to kiss her, and she let her hands move over his broad shoulders and up into his soft, dark hair. This move elicited a groan from Q, and Kathryn reveled in the sound. Q responded by peeling down the neck of her uniform to expose her tender flesh to the air, and then covered it with his mouth. She moaned as the tip of his tongue made tiny, sensitive circles over her smooth skin. Q seemed encouraged by this sound and started nibbling her neck lightly, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her closer to him with a growl. She could feel Q, hard and pressing against her intimately. She moved her hips against him experimentally, and smiled as he hissed "Kathryn!" and arched against her with pleasure.

Almost feverishly, Q unzipped the front of her uniform jacket and pushed it off her shoulders to the floor. She tried to do something similar to his shirt, but in her haste her fingers had trouble with the buttons down the front. Frustrated, she pulled the hem of the shirt out of the waistband of Q's trousers. He helped her by unbuttoning the neck, and together they pulled the garment up over his head.

Q's chest was bare and magnificent under the heat of her gaze. She was content just to look at him for a moment, but Q took her hands and pressed them firmly to his pectorals in a silent, but desperate, plea for her to touch him. She was too happy to oblige. Moving her hands against his bare flesh, Kathryn was surprised to see that Q's body was not the super chiseled physique she'd expected…not that he wasn't well-formed, but there was something soft about him that she liked.

Q pulled off the undershirt of her uniform and made short work of her bra. He cupped her breasts, rolling the nipples of both between his fingertips. Kathryn cried out and moved against him at the sensation. It felt too good. He chuckled at her response and continued the motion as he kissed her hard and deep, then moved to lavish more attention to the side of her neck with his mouth.

She gasped, running her fingertips down his chest and over his own nipples, wondering if they were as sensitive as hers. Curious, she rubbed them and Q gasped and began to squirm beneath her. Intrigued, she lowered he head to his chest and took one of them in her mouth, nibbling and sucking, noting that his chest smelled like soap. Q groaned and moved under her merciless teasing. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around her and stood up. Kathryn wrapped her legs around his waist to prevent herself from falling on the floor.

"What are you…" she started to ask, but Q cut her off with a kiss and walked the short distance from the living room into her bedroom, taking the opportunity to hold and squeeze her butt along the way. She giggled as Q deposited her on the bed, and sighed in satisfaction as he covered her body with his own. It had been awhile since Kathryn had sex, but she was pleased to discover that she still seemed to know what to do.

"Having fun?" Q asked, his expression amused. He reached down to unbutton her trousers.

"Yes," she grinned, running her hands luxuriously over the smooth skin of his back. Q suddenly sat up and took one boot-clad foot in his hand and began to remove her shoes. When he had them off, Kathryn eagerly began to strip him of his clothes. Soon, they were both gloriously naked and stretched out together across her bed, hungrily running their hands over one another.

Kathryn reached down and began to stroke Q erect hardness, pleased at both the size and feel of him against her. He groaned and reached for her, finding the slick, sweet nub between her thighs and stroking. Kathryn whimpered, pleased to discover that Q had not forgotten the magical rhythm he'd discovered early that morning. She kissed him in earnest, and he was quick to wrap his free arm around her and crush her to him.

Kathryn realized she had goose bumps all over her, and she writhed against Q in pleasure, not caring about anything except how good it felt. She reached out and pulled him on top of her, burying her face in his neck to lick and nibble small patterns there. When she gently kneaded a bit of his flesh between her teeth, Q spasmed above her, and suddenly the tip of his member was pressed against the entrance to her warm, moist opening. Kathryn groaned in pleasure, and parted her legs to grant him better access.

He lifted his head to study her expression, and was apparently pleased by what he saw. Watching her face intently, Q began to slide into her ever-so-slowly. Kathryn moaned and squirmed under him, trying to take all of him at once. He smirked at her and shook his head teasingly.

"Q!" she moaned as he slid in another inch, but no more. Crazed, she tried to grab his buttocks and push him in further, but Q snatched both her wrists and pinned them effectively over her head with one hand, while keeping most of his weight on the other. He was driving her insane. She cried out in protest as he withdrew, only to cry out in pleasure as he slid back in. It was a shallow stroke, and so frustratingly unsatisfying, she wanted to scream. He did it again and again, stokes so shallow and teasing, she didn't know if she should cry out with pleasure, or slap him. He was grinning at her in dim light.

"Q!" she cried again, trying to make it sound like a command and failing.

"Hmmm?" he said, kissing the tender spot on the side of her neck. "Did you want something?"

"Please," she hissed. "You're killing me…" For someone who'd never had sex as a human, she thought, Q certainly knew what he was doing. She looked up at his face and realized he was laughing at her.

"Something funny?" she gasped as snidely as she could. Q bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

"You're beautiful when you're mad at me," he whispered. Kathryn groaned, half in frustration and half in pleasure at the compliment. She shifted underneath him, trying unsuccessfully to find a more satisfying angle. Q laughed at her again. She growled in irritation at his sweet torment. Lust gave her enough strength to suddenly push unsuspecting Q onto his back, then jump on top of him.

"Kathr—," he started to say, but she cut him off with a fierce kiss. Then she slid down until the tip of his penis was pressed against her slick entrance. Before Q could protest, Kathryn mounted him and bore down inch by inch until he was deep inside her. "Sweet cosmos!" Q hissed. They both cried out and jerked in pleasure. Every small movement he made caused her to clench with sensation. Q put his hands on her hips and pulled her up slightly, then pushed her back down as he thrust up into her. Kathryn felt a jolt of electricity arc through her body.

He took his hands from her hips and began to trace small trails up and down her thighs and over her knees. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his chest, and his hands were suddenly in her hair, moving around her scalp, stroking and massaging. She moved her hips in a circular motion, and gasped at the sensations the action produced. The hands in her hair clenched involuntarily, and Kathryn grinned a naughty grin into Q's chest. She sat up, and placed her hands on his chest, pleased at the dreamy look on Q's face. Watching him, Kathryn repeated the movement, smiling as Q twitched with pleasure.

"Did you like that?" she grinned. He nodded, his expression awestruck. Kathryn began to grind against him in a slow, steady pace, amazed at how wet she was and how easily he moved with her. Q groaned and began to run his hands over her body--up her legs, over her stomach, over her breasts, down her arms and back. Kathryn echoed his groan with one of her own. She learned forward and kissed Q, who returned the gesture with enthusiasm.

Suddenly, Q slid his hand, palm up, between their bodies. His questing fingers found her sensitive nub and began to stroke her in time with her movements against him. Kathryn cried out and started to ride Q in earnest, her hips moving up and down with reckless abandon. She looked down at Q, who had a naughty grin on his face, clearly enjoying himself. Kathryn flushed, but couldn't feel embarrassed; the feelings running through her were too marvelous. She could feel her muscles start to clench, waves of sensation building inside her. She moaned throatily as her orgasm hit her. _Mmmph_! It was almost painful, her body jerking with every fantastic spasm.

"Oh god!" she hissed, breathing hard.

When it was over, she collapsed against Q's chest, still twitching with aftershocks. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Wow…" he whispered in her ear. "That was amazing." Kathryn chuckled.

"We're not done yet," she murmured. Q was still inside her, hard as a rock. She could tell he was dying for release, but too polite to move until he was sure she was ready. She rolled over onto her back, pulling Q with her.

"So forceful!" he gasped from above her. "I love it!" He leaned down and kissed her again, quite thoroughly. He pulled back, kneeling between her legs, and took her hands in each of his. Then he leaned forward again, raising her arms over her head and pinning them there. Kathryn moaned as he buried his face into her neck, licking and sucking, and suddenly he slid himself into her again. Kathryn sighed with pleasure.

"Ready?" he chuckled in her ear. She nodded in assent, and suddenly he was fucking her hard. She cried out and tried to free her hands so she could touch him, but he kept them firmly pinned to the bed. She growled in frustration, and wrapped her legs around Q's waist, forcing him to thrust into her deeper. Q groaned, and his hold on her wrists loosened enough for Kathryn to escape and wrap her arms around his neck. Q slid one arm under her back, holding her and aiding her movement against him.

Kathryn reveled in the delicious friction between them. She moved her hips, urging Q on. He began to make tiny noises, deep in his chest.

"Oh, Kathryn," he hissed, his breathing erratic. "I…oh!" Q suddenly made a squeaking noise, and Kathryn felt warmth inside her. Q thrust a few more times, making guttural noises as he did so, and then he shuddered, collapsing on top of her. Kathryn welcomed his weight as she kissed the top of his head. There was a moment of silence as both parties recovered.

After awhile, Q rolled onto his side and looked at her.

"Sweet Captain," he smiled. "I think I love you."

Kathryn rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop from smiling.

---------------

Review please! ~Coffee


	15. Another Morning After

Thank you Julie-N-Maggie-fan for reminding me about this story. Here you go! ~Coffee

When Kathryn woke up the next morning, she was aware of two things; first, she was deliciously sore from the previous evening's activities, and second, Q's sleep-heavy arm was crushing her where it was slung over her waist. She smiled and started to move towards the side of the bed, but the action roused him. His arm suddenly came to life, and it curled around her, pulling her into a spooning position.

"Good morning," he murmured.

"Good morning," she replied, snuggling back against him.

"Trying to escape?" he teased, kissing the side of her neck.

"Maybe," she grinned into a pillow.

"Too bad you weren't quick enough…" he said, yawning and pulling her even closer to him. Kathryn snorted, but nuzzled him contently. They stayed like that for awhile, cuddling, slipping in and out of consciousness together…Kathryn knew it was too good to last when her alarm began to beep softly, telling her it was time to get up. With a sigh, she wriggled away from Q's protesting grasp and made her way to the bathroom.

When she emerged, showered and in a clean uniform, she was surprised to see that Q had replicated some breakfast for the two of them, and he was wearing his clothes from the night before. She paused to admire the view for a moment as she watched him arrange the table. Q suddenly seemed to sense her presence and turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and Kathryn suddenly realized she was grinning at him almost idiotically. She tried to compose herself, but it was impossible. Q's face broke into its own heartbreakingly glorious smile, and in a second he was there with his arms around her.

_Hormones…_Kathryn thought ruefully, trying to control the rush of arousal flowing through her body. She turned her face upwards for a good morning kiss.

"No!" Q gasped, backing away and looking at her in horror. "I haven't brushed!"

Kathryn didn't know if she should laugh or scowl as Q made a beeline for the bathroom.

"You're not serious," she called after him.

"I'm quite serious!" Q cried haughtily from the bathroom. "Hygiene is one of the few things that separates your species from its primate ancestors!"

Kathryn rolled her eyes and sat down to eat her breakfast. It occurred to her, as she speared bits of scrambled eggs with her fork, that Q was probably using her toothbrush, seeing as how she hadn't seen him replicate one of his own. The thought irritated her.

"Q?" she called out. "You'd better not be using my toothbrush!" She heard him scoff around a mouthful of toothpaste and spit.

"Contrary to popular belief, I do have some understanding of human etiquette," he called. "You're just mad because you have to wait for me to kiss you."

Kathryn felt her face fush as she choked down a piece of toast. She glared up at Q as he emerged from the bathroom holding a smart leather Dopp kit in one hand and his own toothbrush in the other. He twirled the toothbrush between his fingers and dropped it into the leather container with a flourish. "I'll shower in my own quarters, if that's all right with you, darling."

"Oh? Is my humble bathroom not suited to your majesty's liking?" Kathryn snorted, rolling her eyes again at Q's self-important tone.

"As a matter of fact, it's lovely," Q said, pretending he didn't hear her sarcasm as he sat down on the other side of the table and began to eat his plate of food. "And I wouldn't mind joining you in the tub again, Kathy; I daresay it would be a lot more fun than last time." Kathryn raised an eyebrow at him over her cup of coffee. "However, I prefer to bathe in a place where my accoutrements are most readily accessible afterwards."

"All right, all right…" Kathryn gestured from him to stop.

"…but of course, that wouldn't be a problem if you allowed me to keep some of my belongings here…" he hinted.

"Subtle," she snorted.

"It's not an entirely unreasonable request! Unless, of course, you don't ever intend to left me spend another night in your quarters, I'll need my own drawer."

"Your own drawer?"

"According to my research, this is something human couples are supposed to do for their lovers who spends the night…give me a drawer."

"Any other demands?"

"The passcode to your quarters."

Kathryn scoffed. "Are you insane?"

"Not in the least." Q rose gracefully to his feet and stepped around the table to stand behind her. He covered her shoulders with warm, strong hands and leaned down to whisper suggestively in her ear. "If you give me the code, I'll be able to surprise you with nice things in here when your shift ends…and your crew won't spot me pacing back and forth outside your door while I wait impatiently for my sexy captain to come home…" He pressed a sweet kiss just under Kathryn's earlobe, and she shivered and grinned to herself.

"I will not be distracted by your…distractions, Q…"

He'd moved to the other side of her neck, pressing slow kisses down its length, tugging down her turtleneck and burying his face in the curve at the base and breathing deep.

"You smell like soap…sweet, sweet Kathy…" he muttered, holding back a groan. She felt his hands slide lightly over her hair, which was up in her traditional chignon. "I'm going thoroughly enjoy taking this down strand by strand later this evening…"

Kathryn exhaled gustily and stood up. Stepping away from Q, she motioned for him to follow her into the bedroom, which he did with an entirely too eager expression on his face. Once, inside, he attempted to pull her into his arms, but Kathryn stepped away and held up her hands in a gesture that clearly signified for him to _wait_. Q scowled petulantly, but did as she asked, standing with his arms crossed as he watched her move to her dresser. Slowly, deliberately, Kathryn opened two drawers, and transferred a handful of shirts from one to the other. She repeated the action with the two drawers below and several pairs of pants.

"These two are yours," she pointed to the two now-empty drawers.

"Kathryn, what…" Q began, but she held up a single finger to shush him. Grabbing a spare PADD from the top of the dresser, she typed her passcode on it, and handed it to him with a small flourish. A slow grin spread over Q's face as he realized what she'd given him.

"I'm off duty at 1700 hours," she said, wrapping her arms around him—a gesture he quickly reciprocated.

"I'll be here," he murmured into the top of her head.

"Good," she replied. "Now kiss me."

Reviews are nice. ~Coffee


	16. The Fight in Astrometrics

I forgot how much fun writing FanFiction is! Enjoy. ~ Coffee

Kathryn marveled at how easy it was for her to assume her "business as usual" mode as she worked through her shift on the bridge. Her crew was still chuckling over the prank on Q from the night before (much to her chagrin), Chakotay was in a pleasant mood, and it appeared that today would be just another of the many eventless days they spent traveling through the Delta Quadrant. Sitting in her command chair, sifting through readouts and spatial data, Kathryn couldn't help but feel a rare sense of peace. Everything seemed right with the world.

_Unless, of course, it's just the afterglow from a night of sex,_ the negative part of her brain snapped. _You've gone so long without it, you've forgotten how much feeling good can actually make you feel good. _

"Shut up," she muttered.

"Something wrong, Captain?" Chakotay was looking at her strangely from his command chair. Kathryn shook her head with a rueful grin.

"Just talking to myself."

"Hearing voices? You know, the Doctor might be able to prescribe something for that," he teased. Kathryn smirked.

"I think I'd like to avoid that particular treatment, Commander."

"That's fine, just don't complain when he has you declared unfit for duty."

"Well I'm not worried. I could always leave you to the tender care of the E.C.H.," she grinned. Chakotay winced. _Janeway 1: Chakotay 0. _

"Seven was just telling me yesterday about the some of the newer modifications the Doctor is making to that particular set of subroutines. He's attempting to…" Chakotay kept talking and Kathryn held her grin in place as she internally digested the shock of hearing Chakotay so casually refer to his new girlfriend in the course of their conversation. Had she just imagined the slightly saccharine inflection Chakotay had given Seven's name? Her mind, of it's own volition, began inserting subtext into his statement; _Seven _(The woman I'm madly in love with who isn't you, Kathryn Janeway) _was just telling me yesterday _(while we were in bed together making sweet, sweet Borg love) _about some of the modifications the doctor is making…_

"Captain?"

Kathryn snapped back to reality and refocused on Chakotay's face. He was all brown eyes and concern-furrowed brows. Her heart contracted painfully. _Seven! He's with Seven and not you!_ _Why?_

"Are you talking to the voices again, Kathryn?" Chakotay queried. She managed to scrape up a ghost of a smile.

"Yes," she nodded.

"And what are they telling you?"

"That I need another cup of coffee. Excuse me, Commander. You have the bridge."

She could feel him staring after her as she disappeared through the doors of her Ready Room. For maybe the millionth time since she'd been sucked into the Delta Quadrant, Kathryn mentally thanked StarFleet for their conception of the Captain's Ready Room. It gave her a place to work and think privately…and sometimes, a place to hide her face in misery.

She replicated her cup of coffee, and flopped indelicately on the nearby seating area to sip the java. She watched the stars as they warped past, and reassessed her relationship with Chakotay for the thousandth time. It occurred to her as she drained her mug, that it wasn't just Chakotay who was bothering her; she was a little angry with Seven as well. Seven had been her friend, and she missed that friendship. But at the same time, Seven had betrayed her-whether the blonde Borg was aware of it or not, she'd stolen the man Kathryn loved. The Captain couldn't look at her without feeling the green claws of Envy between her shoulder blades. _Maybe_, she thought in a guilty moment of insecurity, _if I were as fair-haired and buxom as Seven, Chakotay would have found he extra incentive he needed to wait for me, to be with me, and not with my protégé…_

Her combadge chirruped.

"Q to Captain Janeway…"

_Q!_ Kathryn had completely forgotten about Q. How did he even fit into this mess? She tapped her badge.

"Go ahead, Q."

"Kathryn, my darling, I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to report to Astrometrics, and bring that lunk-head of a First Officer with you?" Kathryn smirked.

"It's possible," she replied, standing and placing her coffee mug on the table. "Care to tell me what this is all about?"

"No. It's a surprise!" Q informed her gleefully.

"Very well," Kathryn sighed. "I'm on my way."

She left her Ready Room and procured Chakotay; he looked especially displeased when Kathryn informed him of who was requesting their presence. One awkward turbolift ride and a stroll down a long hallway brought them both to Astrometrics. Kathryn stepped through first.

The initial thing she noticed was the softly glowing star chart projected overhead. It was extremely detailed, and must have taken quite a bit of time and data to create. The second thing she noticed was that Seven of Nine was standing next to Q underneath the projection. Her expression brightened when she saw the Captain, or at least that was what Janeway thought, until Chakotay walked past her and Seven's gaze followed him without a glance back in Kathryn's direction.

"Good afternoon, Commander," Seven said, her voice slightly huskier than normal, her cheeks turning pink.

"Good afternoon, Seven," Chakotay replied with a trace of humor over their stiffly formal greetings. He had that intense, focused look on his face, the look that had always made Kathryn weak-kneed when he'd directed it at her. After an excruciating moment of watching the two of them stare at each other, Seven turned to look at the Captain.

"Hello, Captain."

"Seven," Kathryn's voice was clipped.

Q cleared his throat conspicuously.

"Good afternoon, Captain," he crooned mockingly, stepping forward to bow and kiss her hand. Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Q."

"I don't suppose there's a legitimate reason why you asked us both to come down here, is there Q?" Chakotay was annoyed already, and he was looking suspiciously at their intertwined hands: Q hadn't let go after planting a kiss on the back or her hand, and more importantly, Kathryn hadn't made him.

"I'd say the opportunity to behold the lovely face of my favorite Captain is a good enough reason for me…she is so very lovely," Q looked into her eyes as he made that last comment, and there was a ring of sincerity in his tone that Kathryn hadn't heard there before. She blushed and pulled her hand away.

"I hope you didn't ask Mr. Chakotay here for the same reason," she quipped.

"Ugh," Q shuddered distastefully. "He wishes."

"I'll try to choke back my disappointment," Chakotay growled.

"If only you would choke on _something_, Commander," Q hissed back with credible menace. Chakotay bristled and took a step towards the formerly omnipotent being…

"Perhaps you could tell us what this is all about, Q" Kathryn interjected smoothly, stepping between the two of them with a grace born of many years of diplomatic negotiations. Q smiled down at her, clearly reveling in her proximity, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear in a sweetly intimate gesture.

"As you wish, my dear," he murmured. Then, flinging out an arm, he gestured grandly to the star chart. "Behold, _ma capitaine_; I have charted you a course through this next region of space, using all of my omnipotent knowledge and expertise." He nodded at Seven, who responded by tapping something into the console in front of her. A thin blue line appeared on the display before them and weaved an intricate pattern between dense clusters of gleaming stars. "This is what I feel to be the safest route for you and your crew, Captain, and because I know you too well, I've also made sure that we'll have the opportunity to hit some of what I consider to be the highlights of the Delta Quadrant." Several planets and solar systems were marked in various colors along the blue line of Q's course.

"He's taken into consideration several important factors Captain: resources for food and dilithium, places where we can trade for technology, dangerous territories to avoid…I find his work impressive," Seven remarked coolly. Q scowled.

"Well of course my work is impressive," he scoffed at her. Turning to look back at Kathryn, he added, "and you should know that it all would have been accomplished much earlier today if your Borg hadn't insisted that she monitor every algorithm and scrap of data I put into the computer under the pretense of my being a security threat!"

"I'm sure Seven was just being thorough, Q," Kathryn chuckled.

"And it's not as though you're exactly trustworthy, Q," Chakotay snorted.

"I don't believe I asked for your opinion, Commander," Q muttered, barely sparing a glance in Chakotay's direction before refocusing on Janeway. "As I was saying, should you choose to accept my course offering, dear Captain, I believe it will be a most profitable and memorable experience for your crew."

"I'd like a closer look at your suggestions Q, but all in all, this sounds promising."

Kathryn was touched. She'd been wondering just was role Q would play as a part of Voyager's crew, and he'd solved that riddle himself: for the next few weeks, he would be their guide to the Delta Quadrant. It was the perfect solution, and she was excited and intrigued to see the universe through the eyes and perceptions of a Q…especially this Q.

"Captain, may I have a word with you in private?" Commander Chakotay was looking at her grimly. Kathryn internalized a sigh of annoyance.

"Of course, Commander."

She followed him as he stepped outside into the hallway, gesturing to Q and Seven that they should wait for their return.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, after the doors had closed behind them.

"Captain, how do we know that this course of Q's isn't some kind of Continuum goose chase?"

"Oh, come on Chakotay," Kathryn chuckled. "I highly doubt that."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't make any sense! Why would Q make himself human aboard this ship for a month for no other reason than to put us on this course? Why wouldn't he just snap his fingers and force us to go where he wants us to?"

"Because it's more fun for him if he makes us participate in his plan willingly…and he can try and get into your pants at the same time," Chakotay snapped, his eyes accusatory. Kathryn felt a rush of anger.

"You're out of line, Commander," she snarled.

"Am I?" he tossed back. "Don't think I didn't notice how he was looking at you…touching you! Since when do you allow anyone aboard this ship to make that kind of contact with you?"

"You tell me, Chakotay. You'd know that information better than anyone," she hissed coldly. Chakotay looked taken aback. Kathryn looked down at the carpet, wishing she hadn't said anything. She looked back up at Chakotay's face and found his expression had hardened.

"I'm not jealous, if that's what you're suggesting," he said. Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Then what does it matter to you how Q looks at me or touches me!" she hissed, wishing they weren't having this conversation in a public corridor.

"It matters because you are my friend, and I am your First Officer, and I don't want to see you taken advantage of personally, or professionally! Especially not by Q!" Chakotay cried.

"Well Commander, you may trust me when I say that neither of those scenarios are at work here," Kathryn stated coolly. "It seems to me that you have your own domestic situation to be concerned with; perhaps you should focus on it."

"You mean Seven?"

"I do."

"Ah…" Chakotay eyed her thoughtfully. "Perhaps _I'm_ not the one who's jealous."

Kathryn frowned and looked at him sadly, pain evident on her face. She said nothing for a moment, wondering how she could phrase what she wanted to say next.

"I thought you…I thought that we had…an understanding…about us…" she sputtered.

"Oh Kathryn.." Chakotay reached for her, his face contorted in sorrow, but she pulled back from him.

"Don't." she said shortly. "I understand. It's okay. You've moved on…it's only fair…" She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back a wave of sadness that threatened to sweep her away. "But you have to let me do that same."

"Not with Q!" Chakotay cried. "Anyone but him!"

Kathryn felt a flash of rage. She was trying to be mature, trying to be fair. Who the hell did Chakotay think he was, telling her who she could be with and whom she couldn't, especially when _his_ choice of partner had created such uncomfortable consequences for her.

"It's none of your business, Commander. I'll thank you to respect my privacy."

When they walked back into the Astrometrics lab, it was clear that something unpleasant had transpired between the two commanding officers. Seven raised an eyebrow at the sight of their entrance, but wisely said nothing. Q noted the miserable expression on Kathryn's face, caught her gaze, and raised an eyebrow in a silent question of concern. She shook her head and shot him a glance that said, _later_. Turning, he plucked a large PADD from the top of the nearest console and handed it to her as though nothing had happened.

"Here are all the specifications of the course I've charted. I trust you'll look over them this afternoon."

"Thank you, Q. I'll be sure to come to you if I have questions."

"I'd like a copy of that as well, Q," Chakotay said imperiously.

"If you insist, Commander, although this matter seems to be more of the Captain's choice than yours," Q smirked. "But of course, it's possible your spirit guide might be able to offer some insight, or perhaps you have some ancient warrior tale to contribute to the decision-making process, so by all means…" he turned and began to download data onto another PADD.

"I insist, Q, because the Captain and I make decisions about the welfare of this crew together," Chakotay replied snidely. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Kathryn's hand. "You see this, Q? She and I? We're a team. We always have been…" Chakotay's brown eyes met her blue ones. "…And we always will be." His hand tightened around hers, his eyes were dark and blazing, and Kathryn felt a wave of relief sweep through her. She'd forgotten that Chakotay had always been very professional about standing behind her publicly, even if he disagreed with her privately. It was one of the qualities she'd always admired about him. She gave him a small smile of gratitude, and squeezed his hand back. He smiled at her in return. Maybe they'd make it through this. Maybe they'd be okay. Maybe they could be friends again…

She looked up at Q, wanting to share her happiness at Chakotay's demonstration of professionalism and loyalty, but was surprised to see anger and frustration written in the lines of his face. He was staring fixedly at their joined hands, and the working of his mouth suggested that he was grinding his teeth. Quickly, she attempted to let go of Chakotay, but he held on—held on, and slowly, deliberately, raised her hand to kiss her knuckles lightly, his eyes never leaving hers.

Q turned red, then white with rage. He tapped a few commands viciously into the PADD in his hand before thrusting it at Chakotay, who calmly let go of the Captain to accept the offering. Kathryn looked over to see what Seven's reaction was to this subtext-laden moment, but the slender Borg only appeared slightly confused by these very human interactions.

"Thank you, Q," Chakotay said, with the slightest hint of smugness. "Now if you'll excuse me…Seven, would you mind accompanying me to the bridge? I'd like your perspective on a few items…"

"Of course, Commander," she nodded to the Captain and to Q, then followed Chakotay through the sliding bay doors.

Kathryn looked over at Q, painfully aware of the fact that they were now alone together. Q did not look at her, but stood, leaning on the console before him with both hands braced against it. He said nothing. There was a long period of silence.

"Q…are you upset with me?" Kathryn asked finally, approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder. He was tense beneath her hand, and did not yield to her touch in the slightest.

"No," he sighed heavily. "I am upset with myself. I was a fool to think that this could work."

"What do you mean?" Kathryn asked.

"I mean," said Q, turning at last to glare at her. "I mean that it's clear to me now that you will never favor me the same way you do that tattooed buffoon."

"That's not true!" she cried, stung by the unfairness of his accusation.

"Oh no?" Q snorted. "You heard him; you're a _team_. Just the two of you… And don't think I didn't see the way that you were looking at him!"

"You're being ridiculous," she sighed wearily. She'd had enough arguing for one day. She wished he would just hold her. She wished she could just tell him how pleased she was with his work and how thoughtful she found his creation of this lovely route for Voyager to follow-a route which surely would ensure some exciting experiences for them all, and a break from the danger that constantly seemed to loom before them.

"He kissed your hand! You let him kiss your hand!" Q was frustrated by her lack of response, and her lack of reassurances.

"Clearly he was trying to get a rise out of you, Q," she groaned. "Please tell me you're not that gullible."

"Oh, so now I'm gullible?"

"That's not what I said! Listen, we can discuss this later, when I'm off duty. Right now, I need to return to the bridge," Kathryn turned to leave Astrometrics. Q called from behind her as she walked,

"Fine! Go back to the bridge with your _teammate_! Sit up there with the mighty warrior! See if I care! I don't! Not the slightest…."

The bay doors whooshed shut behind her, cutting off the rest of Q's sentence.

Tell me what you think! ~Coffee


	17. The Second Night

This story is so fluffy. I hope you guys don't think that I think I'm contributing anything of real substance here. Lol.

Enjoy! - Coffee

...

Kathryn spent most of her afternoon with Chakotay, going over Q's suggested flight plan ad nauseum. Chakotay nitpicked his way through each suggested stop and encounter in a not-so-subtle attempt to convey his distaste for Q. Even more obnoxious was the obligation Kathryn felt to tolerate Chakotay's overzealous dissection in order to prove that she wasn't showing Q any favoritism because of their relationship. Kathryn sat, grinding her molars furiously, as Chakotay reviewed the regional scans for the millionth time, and thought about all the ways in which she would not be showing her First Officer any favoritism any time soon.

She stood and went to the replicator for the fifth time that afternoon.

"Coffee, black."

Her beverage shimmered into existence, and she clutched it between her palms in an effort to ground herself.

"That's your sixth cup today," Chakotay noted mildly from his seat beneath her windows. Kathryn rolled her eyes in annoyance before she turned around and made her way back to her seat. "That's two cups more than you normally have…even on a bad day."

"You're right, Commander. I need to do _something_ to keep me awake."

"You could look at these scans of the third moon of this next planet Q wants to drag us to. Looks like a military installation to me…"

"You mean this culture has a military? That's certainly a surprise," Kathryn quipped, an edge of sarcasm creeping into her voice. "Not many civilizations have one of those."

Chakotay sighed.

"You're not taking this seriously, Kathryn."

"On the contrary!" Kathryn sighed. "You're taking this entirely _too_ seriously! We've been at this for three hours, Chakotay. Enough is enough."

"Captain, it's our responsibility to anticipate any situation that might endanger the safety of this crew…" there was a condescending quality to his tone, as though he were reminding her that wasn't a good idea to have too many cookies before dinner, and to remember that she needed to do her chores before she could go out and play with her friends.

"I'm well aware of my captainly responsibilities, Commander. I think we're finished here." She stood and made her way back to her desk. "Nothing we've looked at today suggests that this course from Q contains unacceptable risk of danger, and the benefits of following it are too valuable to ignore."

There was a long pause as they stared each other down.

"Very well, Captain," Chakotay finally responded with an edge in his most professional tone. "I'll tell Tom to lay in the coordinates right away."

He gathered his PADDs and walked out.

Kathryn slumped in her chair and sighed deeply. According to Q's calculations, they would be making their first stop on an M-class planet rich with dilithium in just two days. Kathryn was glad she could take this one piece of news back to her quarters, where Q was undoubtedly waiting to continue their fight from earlier.

She couldn't blame Q for being jealous…she had spent a fair share of her free time stewing over Chakotay since he started dating Seven, but she was irritated that Q had allowed Chakotay's obviously petty attempt to evoke his jealousy succeed. She was not looking forward to soothing Q's ego when her shift ended.

But on the bright side, there was a great potential for some excellent make-up sex to be had afterward. Kathryn smiled and felt her face flush.

She spent the rest of her shift making an unnecessary, but not unwelcome tour of Engineering. She stopped by the Mess Hall to grab a snack and chat with Mr. Neelix, who was very happy to see her. She even stopped by sickbay to check in with the Doctor, which proved to be somewhat of a waste of time, as he was engaged in a medical experiment of some sort, and answered her questions in monosyllables until she finally took the hint and excused herself.

At last her shift was over. Kathryn braced herself and returned to her quarters.

To her surprise (and perverse disappointment) Q was not there. Sighing, she used the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and changed out of her uniform into a pair of loose linen pants and a long tunic-styled top. She considered ordering her dinner, but knew that Q would probably be disappointed if she ate without him. He seemed to enjoy watching her eat and forcing extra morsels onto her plate. Kathryn smiled at the thought. His concern for her was occasionally over-the-top, but Kathryn could always be certain that he cared, and that was a nice feeling.

An hour later, she was starving and still no Q. Clearly he was trying to make a point. Kathryn growled in annoyance as she paced the length of her living room. At last she called out, "Computer, locate Q."

The computer informed her that Q was in his own living quarters. Kathryn sighed and headed for the door. Fortunately, guest quarters were located close to the Captain's quarters. Kathryn always felt a little uncomfortable roaming the ship in her civilian clothes, and the fewer crew members that saw her, the better.

When she reached Q's door, she hit the call button and heard Q call, "Come in!" from the other side. The doors opened and Kathryn stepped through.

Q stood in front of his living room windows with his back rather dramatically turned to her, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked over his shoulder at her briefly before turning his face back to the view.

"Well good evening, Kathryn. I didn't expect to see you tonight," he said crisply. "Did Chakotay cancel your evening plans?"

Kathryn marveled at his mastery of sarcastic inflection.

"I didn't have any plans with Chakotay tonight, Q," she replied evenly. "You and I on the other hand…"

"Oh, did we have plans?" Q cut in, turning around and tapping his jawline thoughtfully. "I was certain you were going to be too busy making goo goo eyes at your First Officer all night to remember little old me!"

Kathryn smirked a little at the image Q painted and shook her head. "I did remember you, Q…"

"Oh goody!" he cut her off again. "How nice it is to be remembered! I mean, at least when this is all over, and I've been kicked out of the Continuum, broken hearted and alone, I can look back to the previous days and think, well at least Kathryn _remembered_ me before she ran away with that tattooed buffoon!"

"Q…" Kathryn groaned, sensing a full-on rant about to explode on her head. "Please stop!"

"No!" he roared, stomping towards her at an alarming rate and stopping only just before he plowed her over. "Do you even comprehend what I've had to jeopardize just to be here with you? How much I've suffered for you?" he cried, staring down at her intensely. "In this form…I…have…to…use…toilets!" he hissed fiercely. Kathryn's eyebrows jumped up an inch at that, never having considered before as to whether the Q had to poop. No wonder he was always showering; the human form must feel rather disgusting for him. "And why do I do all this? Why? I do it to show how much I care for you! And how do you repay me?"

Kathryn took this opportunity to rise up on her tip-toes and plant a soft kiss on his cheekbone. He looked down at her, startled into silence.

"You're right," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I needed to get over Chakotay, and I have. I told him today that I needed to move on, and that I was moving on with you, which is part of the reason why he was so obnoxious to you earlier."

The hard line of Q's mouth softened a bit, but he pulled back from her grasp.

"Now Kathryn, I won't have you using your feminine wiles on me!"

She scoffed.

"I'm serious, Q. I don't want Chakotay…I want you."

"Oh? You're sure about this?"

"Yes," she grinned. He smiled down at her in turn.

"All right then."

All traces of temper gone, Q learned down and planted a kiss, soft and sweet, onto her upturned mouth, which Kathryn returned with a groan. She pulled back to study his face.

"So, fight over?" she queried.

"Done," he confirmed.

"We never have to talk about this again?"

"Never."

"Excellent."

She gave him another brief kiss, which he tried to deepen into something seriously tempting, but Kathryn managed to pull back, grinning and blushing at the same time.

"I'm so hungry!" she cried plaintively. "I'd been waiting for you for an hour before I decided to come find you…a tad dramatic of you, by the way, hiding in here, making me come after you," she added with a touch of annoyance.

Q chuckled.

"I'm nothing if not a tad dramatic."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. Q smirked and took her hand. "We could certainly eat here, but I personally prefer your quarters."

"I can see why," Kathryn remarked looking around. Q's guest quarters were nice, but sparse and utilitarian. "I'm surprised you didn't bring more decorations with you to augment your splendid wardrobe." She looked him up and down suggestively. Q was wearing a tight black sweater and black pants. Originally the dark colors had fit his dark mood, but now that they weren't fighting anymore, he looked sexy and scrumptious. She took a moment admire the sleek lines of his body, the broadness of his shoulders. Her eyes traveled to his face to admire the strength of his jaw, the sultry curve of his lips. She realized he was watching her, a knowing gleam in his eye. She blushed and tried not to smile in response.

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," he purred, his words ripe with double entendre. "And I didn't bring many decorations because I wasn't planning on spending much time in _these _particular quarters…" He took her hand in his and squeezed it affectionately. Kathryn scoffed at his arrogance and smacked his bicep lightly with her free hand, but she returned his squeeze with the other one. "Come on."

They made their way back to the Captain's quarters, maintaining a professional distance between the two of them the entire time, but as soon as the Captain's doors _whooshed_ shut behind them, Q grabbed Kathryn around the waist and planted a kiss on her that was steamy enough to set fire to the room.

"This is much better," he whispered in her ear.

"I agree," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his soapy smelling chest. Q wrapped his arms around her and waltzed them both over to the dining area. He deposited her lightly on one of the chairs at the dinning table under the windows, and made for the replicator.

"Wine?" he asked.

"Yes please," she replied, standing to pull candle-holders and other dinner accouterments out of a storage cabinet. She set the table while Q ordered a specific bottle of merlot and glasses from the replicator. He returned to the table and poured her a glass as she lit the candles.

"Ooh, a candle-lit dinner…are you trying to seduce me, Kathy?" Q quipped.

"Yes," she replied simply, quirking a saucy eyebrow in his general direction. Q laughed and returned to the replicator.

"I'm feeling Italian this evening, what do you think?" he called over his shoulder.

"Italian sounds lovely," she said, taking a sip of her merlot. Q spoke to the replicator and returned with two plate of warm fettuccine tossed in a little olive oil and tossed with diced cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. "Oh, this is prefect!" she breathed, and he laid her plate in front of her and took his place on the other side of the table.

They ate together companionably and comfortably. Q was amazingly attentive to her needs, offering her more wine and later getting her a glass of water. At one point during the meal, his foot made contact with hers under the table, and he kept it there, winking at her cheekily. It was wonderful. The cares of her day seemed to fade away. She could feel herself truly relaxing for the first time in what had seemed like forever.

She told Q that they were on their way to the first planet indicated on his flight plan, and thoroughly enjoyed his jubilant response. He clasped his hands and went on and on about the sites she would see, the people she'd meet, and the places they could explore together. He was thrilled, and his enthusiasm was infectious.

When she'd finished eating, Q recycled their plates and offered to replicate her some dessert and a cup of decaf. Kathryn declined dessert, but happily accepted the coffee, and plopped herself rather ungraciously on her couch. Q joined her promptly with a large piece of tiramisu. They relaxed together, Kathryn drinking her coffee, and Q wolfing down his dessert. At one point he seemed to realize himself, and offered Kathryn a bite, which she gracefully accepted. His eyes focused on her mouth for a moment longer than necessary, watching her swallow the tempting morsel, but he soon went back to stuffing his face, clearly enjoying his food.

"Being human isn't all bad, is it?" Kathryn chuckled as she watched him practically lick his plate clean.

"There are certain advantages that make up for its indecencies," Q sighed, learning back and patting his stomach in satisfaction. He gave her a tender look out of the corner of his eye, reached down, and pulled her feet into his lap. He ran his warm hands over her shins, calves, and around her ankles, soothing away the stresses and pains of wearing Starfleet-issued uniform boots for an entire day shift. His fingers traveled down to soothe the arch of her foot through her sock, and Kathryn sighed with bliss. She suddenly felt a little guilty for letting Q cater to her in this way, when she had barely considered his human needs.

"Has it been hard for you? What is it like? What can I do to help?" she asked as Q started on her other leg.

"It hasn't been nearly as hard as my first human experience…mostly because I chose it this time around. I had time to prepare…sleeping is still terrifying to me, although it's better when there's someone else there," he looked at her pointedly. She smiled. "I enjoy eating, but I detest hunger. I'm occasionally frustrated by how difficult things sometimes are…and then sometimes delighted by how easily they come together…" his fingers were sliding up the outer side of her leg, cupping the back of her knee and running his hand up and over the curve of her hip.

"Q…" Kathryn breathed.

"This obsession all you humans have with mating and sex…I didn't understand that before, but now…" he was moving over her, crouching like a tiger ready to strike. Kathryn almost giggled, but she held it back, biting her lower lip enticingly. "Now, I understand," Q continued, leaning down to press his lips to hers. "It's like, a _craving_..." he kissed her again, urgently. "You can't control it! It's primal…" He pressed himself against the length of her body and buried his face into her neck. Kathryn groaned and wound her hands into his hair, tracing her fingers across his scalp. He made a growling sound in response that made her gasp as every ounce of blood in her body rushed directly to her vagina. "You're so sexy…" he muttered, running his hands over her breasts possessively and breathing her in. "The way you feel, the way you smell…_Kathryn_…" he hissed her name like it was a prayer.

She was on fire, intoxicated by Q and what he was doing to her. She wrapped her limbs around him, moving against him wantonly, placing tiny, fierce kisses down the length of his jaw, grinning stupidly in anticipation of what was to come.

Q was in no hurry. He ran his hands over her body slowly, languidly, kissing her thoroughly as he went. Kathryn raked her nails lightly down his back and nibbled at his tender neckflesh, remembering how much he'd liked that the evening before. She was right; he shuddered violently and gripped her to him.

"You like that, huh?" she whispered to him, kissing the same spot.

"Yes," he growled.

"How about this?" she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging and massaging lightly.

""Yes!" he whimpered, kissing her frantically. As his lips moved against hers, Kathryn slipped her hand between their bodies to cup him through his pants.

"This?" she murmured coyly.

"Brazen temptress!" Q hissed. He stood abruptly, and pulled Kathryn up and against him before she even had time to miss the weight of his body. He kissed her furiously before half-dragging her to the bedroom, where he again pulled her flush against him and ran his hands over her rump while plundering her mouth. Kathryn clung to him too tightly, shaking with arousal. Q pulled away and pushed her back onto the mattress, grinning mischievously. Kathryn grinned back at him as he began to strip her of her clothing in a most efficient manner before practically ripping off his own garments.

His warm, naked body covered hers on the bed, and the sensation of hot flesh against hot flesh was too much for them both. Q lowered his mouth to her breasts, suckling the nipples, while at the same time cupping her between her legs and finding slick wetness there. He groaned into her chest, and repositioned his hips between her thighs. Kathryn felt the tip of him pressed against the entrance of her opening, and cried out with need.

"Please," Q whispered, his voice tight with restraint, begging her for permission. Kathryn pushed against him in response, reaching down to grasp his hips and pull him closer. They cried out together in bliss as Q began to slide slowly into her, each slick inch sending paroxysms of ecstasy through them both. "Forgive me," he groaned as he began to move. "I can't…I can't…" Kathryn moaned with pleasure as Q started to thrust into her, hard and fast, stretching, invading. It was too good. His pelvis rocked against hers mercilessly, pressing against her clit with a glorious rhythmic pressure that made Kathryn see stars. She came hard against him with soft mewling cries, as waves of sensation rolled through her.

"Q…" she gasped. "You…you're so…"

"I'm sorry," he moaned "You're too…"

He thrust inside her so deeply, Kathryn thought he might split her in two, but then she felt the first hot spurt of his orgasm, warm and deep inside her. The sensation was so erotic, her walls suddenly clenched as she came a second time, crying out, milking him for all he was worth. Her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades as he rode her climax out, loving the sounds he made and the way he settled on top of her afterward, still joined with her, burying his face into her neck and hair.

"I love you," he gasped. Kathryn chuckled.

"You feel good," she replied, running soothing hands up and down his back.

"So do you," he murmured. "So good."

"I could get used to this," she sighed.

"That's the idea," he grinned, rolling to his side and propping himself up on one elbow. "I plan to ruin you for all other men."

Kathryn laughed and cuddled up next to him.

"You're off to a good start."

He held her as they silently basked in the afterglow of great sex, but eventually Kathryn felt cold and a little sloppy.

"What do you say to sharing a sonic shower before bed?" she queried, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"An excellent idea," he nodded in approval.

She slid off her side of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. Q watched her move, clearly enjoying the view.

"Are you going to join me?" she asked, grabbing a towel.

"Absolutely," he replied, and did just that.

...

Reviews are nice! -Coffee


	18. Preparing for First Contact

Summer Vacation means more fanfiction! Huzzah! - Coffee

The next few days passed in a blissful haze.

They were preparing to make first contact with the people of Lursa Prime—the first stop on Q's suggested course—and the ship was abuzz with excitement. It had been too long since their last friendly first contact, and the prospect of fresh supplies and shore leave had the entire crew buoyant with good humor.

While each department was busy making lists of needed items to procure, Q moved from place to place, checking in with the senior officers, offering suggestions for supply requests and setting up an inventory of items that the Lursainians would be interested in trading for.

"One real advantage you have out here, sweet Captain, is your replicator technology," Q murmured to her as they lay together in bed that night. Kathryn was snuggled to his chest, relishing the feeling of having a man in her bed, and reveling in the joy of having a partner to converse with just before sleep. Q had just made love to her in the most sinfully slow fashion, and she was still twitching with pleasure. She tilted her head and pressed her lips tenderly against his collarbone.

"How so?" she sighed, flush with afterglow.

"Not many cultures out here have that kind of technology, which means we can always be certain we'll have exactly what they want to trade…and these Lursainians are easy to please; they enjoy simple luxuries…good food, good alcohol…" he stroked her hair, running his fingers eagerly through the satiny tendrils.

"I'm looking forward to this first contact," Kathryn murmured, pulling him a little closer. "It's been so long…"

"Well, after the briefing tomorrow, we'll be all set to proceed with the main event…" He paused and looked down at her. "I'm so happy to be able to share this with you, Kathryn…it's so exciting seeing this process through your eyes."

"I'm glad you're here too, Q. This is a great experience you're offering us…offering me…it's not unappreciated."

They lay there together for a quiet moment. Kathryn absently slid her hand back and forth across his chest, moving her fingers through the sparse hair there. She felt more than heard the chuckle rumbling beneath her hand.

"You're tickling me," he whispered teasingly into her ear, wrapping his arms around her in a sweet embrace. Kathryn scoffed, but she felt happy. It had been years since anyone had held her like this-since she'd felt like a woman, like a lover. The Captain was rarely offered physical contact as a means of solace; no one hugged the Captain or held her when she was feeling low, and she'd learned to be okay with being aloof and untouchable, but now, here, with Q…she couldn't get enough of the feeling of his flesh against hers, or the weight of his arm draped over her waist.

"Tell me you love me," he whispered into her skin.

"Q," she sighed, exasperated. She rolled over to face him. "You can't keep demanding that of me."

"Why not?" he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and pulled her to his chest.

"Because, it's the kind of thing I have to say of my own free will," she snorted.

"Free will can be coerced," he snorted back. "How I'd love you, Kathryn, if only you'd let me."

"I think you loved me pretty thoroughly just a few minutes ago," she chuckled. Q grinned at her lasciviously before his expression sobered.

"You know that's not what I meant…" he began, but Kathryn placed her fingers lightly over his mouth.

"I know," she said. "I'm aware of what it is you want from me, Q, but you can't rush this…you have to be patient."

Q rolled his eyes at her and scoffed. "Of course I'm aware that I shouldn't rush this; could you please state something more obvious?"

"Well…You're awfully handsome," she smiled up at him sweetly. Q chuckled.

"Well-played, Captain."

The entire Senior Staff was gathering in the briefing room for Q's final run-through of the protocols for First Contact with the Lursainians. The Captain was already there and seated, Q was standing patiently to one side of the view screen, arms clasped behind him, resplendent in jade green and charcoal. Kathryn was trying very hard not stare at him, but Q held no such compunctions. He was actively studying her face, watching her, knowing she was aware of him watching her, and thoroughly enjoying the fact that her sense of professionalism wouldn't allow her to respond to the fact.

Seven arrived early; she was pouring over a PADD in one hand and tapping out a crazy finger dance on another PADD sitting on the table. Tom and B'Elanna entered next, discussing something with each other in furious, hushed undertones. Kathryn used their distracting entrance as a cover to look over at Q and give him a playful wink. His eyebrows jumped up in pleasant surprise, and after a surreptitious glance around to make sure no one was looking, he returned her wink with a deliberately suggestive one of his own. Kathryn let a slow grin slide across her face. She looked down at her hands, attempting to control her expression, but it was no use. She looked back up at Q's face, and in a moment, they were both grinning at each other like idiots. Q stepped forward and knelt down next to the Captain's chair.

"We were fools to think we could behave ourselves in a room together like this," Q muttered in mock exasperation. "There's no point in trying to resist—I must ravish you now!"

"Shh!" Kathryn hissed, as Tom and B'Elanna fortunately grew louder in their argument, "You're going to get me in trouble!" She was grinning furiously. Q looked up at her and smiled.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. She looked at him, surprised by the sweetness and the sincerity of his compliment. Unthinking, she reached for his hand, gripping it tightly to convey her affection and gratitude. He looked at her hand, running his thumb casually over the back of it. He looked back up at her with love in his eyes…

…and then Kathryn realized the room was strangely silent. She looked over to find both Tom and B'Elanna staring at her and Q in surprise. She felt Q drop her hand with lightening speed and return to his original stance next to the view screen, and before she had time to process this sudden chain of events, Tuvok and Chakotay came in from the door closest to the bridge. Kathryn snuck a quick glance in Q's direction, but his expression was inscrutable. She looked over at Seven, but she still seemed obliviously absorbed in her PADD work. Chakotay and Tuvok were taking their seats. Kathryn nodded a greeting to both of them, and then snuck another quick glance towards Paris and Torres. Both were sitting, looking at each other, doing that silent communication thing some couples excelled at in times of crisis. She looked down at her hands again, and spent the next few moments it took for Harry, Neelix, and the Doctor to arrive, anxiously wondering what they had seen, and what they were thinking.

"Thank you for coming," Q said, addressing them all cheerily and genuinely. Kathryn was startled into reality. She looked over at Q and was impressed by his suddenly all-business demeanor. It effectively jump-started her back into her role as Captain. "I'm excited to be here to go over the details of this First Contact with you all."

"Well, we're excited to hear from you on this manner, Q," she responded crisply. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are grateful for an opportunity to make new friends and enjoy a little shore leave."

"Here here!" called Harry, and Kathryn was happy to see heads nodding in all the way around the table, with the exception of Tuvok, Chakotay, and Seven. Kathryn scoffed to herself. Tuvok was always stoic, but Chakotay's expression was slightly surly, and his arms were crossed. He seemed to be trying to catch Seven's eye, but she was studiously ignoring his glances. _Interesting,_ Kathryn thought.

Q handled the briefing like a professional with all the enthusiasm of a travel agent, assuring her senior officers that their time and efforts would be rewarded with superior experiences and resources, and informing them of exactly what needed to happen to ensure that those experiences would take place. Invitational and Welcome beacons had been received from the Lursainians, and Q reviewed the protocols they had contained. The Senior Staff seemed comfortable listening and taking suggestions from Q. Kathryn realized that Q's flight plan idea had given him a measure of credibility among the crew, and he had gained a small measure of their respect through his organizing efforts. A few good First Contacts like the ones Q had planned, and they might even accept him as one of their own. They almost seemed comfortable in his presence today. _What a change is here_, she thought, musingly. She looked back up at Q. He was so handsome, so in his element in this moment, and he was _hers_.

"…and if that is it for questions, then I believe you are dismissed," Q finished imperiously. Then, realizing what he'd done, looked over to the Captain to make amends. "That is, if that's okay with you, _Captain_," he added self-deprecatingly.

"I'm in full agreement, Q. Dismissed!" She chirped. The meeting broke up. Seven did not look at Chakotay as she made a beeline for the Doctor and engaged him in conversation as they exited the room together. Kathryn looked over at Chakotay and caught a look of frustration as his eyes followed Seven out the door. She felt Q move to her side.

"You did a great job," she said looking up at him warmly. "Your Captain is impressed with you."

"They seem to like me!" Q gloated. Her looked past Kathryn and his expression sobered. "Well, most of them seem to like me."

Kathryn turned and caught Chakotay looking at her and Q with cold disapproval in his eyes. He turned and left the room through the closest exit possible.

"Something's going on between him and Seven…trouble in paradise," she whispered to Q conspiratorially.

"Perhaps they've broken up! Now's your chance, Kathryn! Run to him!" Q cried dramatically, smothering a grin. Kathryn was surprised by his candor, but she couldn't help but smile at him.

"I like you better," she smirked.

He looked up; his eyes were burning holes into hers. She basked in his attention for a moment. She could feel how much he wanted her…there were only a few steps between them…

Suddenly, she was also aware of other eyes on her. Kathryn turned to see Tom, B'Elanna, Neelix and Harry all watching the exchange between her and Q with expressions of utmost interest.

"Um," Q said, following her gaze. "Perhaps we should go review the…course headings?" he murmured.

"Yes, of course," she replied coolly.

They made a hasty exit together, with eyes following them the whole way.


End file.
